56 



THE SPONGES OF THE WEST-CENTRAL PACIFIC 



Text Figure No. 31. A: Sketch of Haliclona monilata, 

 X 1/10; this is NOT a camera lucida drawing. 



B: Three of the spicules 



(oxea) of Haliclona 



monilata, X 781. 



The shape is distinctively ramose. From a base which is almost incrust- 

 ing, hundreds of strands arise. Only a few of these branch again and still 

 fewer ever anastomose. These branches are about 4 mm in diameter and 

 reach a vertical height of at least 30 mm. Therefore, in all a relatively 

 enormous sponge colony results. 



The exterior and interior color in life was ochre. The consistency was 

 spongy. 



The surface is micro-velvety. The pores are 50 jx to 90 /x in diameter 

 and about 130 /x apart, center to center. The oscules are about 1.5 mm in 

 diameter and are distributed along the strands at distances about 4 cm apart. 



The ectosome is absent, of course. The endosome is a very vague reticu- 

 lation, because most of the spicules are in confused arrangement; but they 

 are placed so that they outline the canals and chambers. The latter are quite 

 evident. 



The skeleton contains only a small quantity of spongin, and yet that 

 appears to be very efficient in producing the spongy consistency. The 

 spicules are oxeas, of considerable variation in size. Representative dimen- 

 sions may be cited as 4 [x by 80 fx, 3 jx by 100 fx, and (probably juvenile) 

 1.5 ix by 75 fx. 



This species was first described as Chalina monilata by Ridley, 1884, 

 page 394, from Australia. Bro'ndsted in 1934, page 12, described a sponge 

 from the East Indies as Chalina bandae. His description shows no consider- 

 able difference from monilata and, therefore, is dropped here in synonymy 

 to Ridley's species. A somewhat related form, not now dropped in synonymy, 

 was first described as Reniera ramusculoides by Topsent, 1893, page 181, 

 from the Red Sea. It should be in Haliclona, of course. Chalina minor, 

 described also from the Red Sea by Row, 1911, page 323, is dropped here in 

 synonymy to Haliclona ramusculoides. 



