68 THE SPONGES OF THE WEST-CENTRAL PACIFIC 



Bowerbank, 1866, page 278, described Isodictya permollis from Great 

 Britain. It was soon evident to students of sponges that in almost all portions 

 of the oceans of the world, within shallow water or intertidal regions, a very 

 common lavender sponge flourished. This was at first thought to be that 

 which was first described as Spongia cinerea by Grant, 1826, page 204, and 

 transferred to Reniera by Schmidt, 1870, page 77. Thus, the literature be- 

 came full of abundant references to Reniera cinerea. Burton, however, in 

 1934, page 534, showed that cinerea was not as described, but instead the 

 genotype specimen belonged in the genus Adocia. The next species name 

 available for the cosmopolitan sponge appears to be permollis of Bowerbank. 



The species permollis is certainly abundant on both sides of the Atlantic 

 Ocean, north even into the near-Arctic. It is abundant also on the eastern 

 coast of the Pacific Ocean. Numerous sponges from the western Pacific 

 region have been recorded as of the genus Reniera (or Haliclona), that is to 

 say Reniclona, but unidentifiable as to species. It is here considered prob- 

 able that many of these are really permollis. 



One might say that the species permollis was an extremely variable one, 

 but another decided possibility to consider is that it is a species which may 

 fall victim to various types of ailments. There are excellent indications that 

 when perfectly healthy it has a characteristic violet color. When anything 

 goes wrong, such as the advent of fresh water (see de Laubenfels, 1947, page 

 41 ) , the lavender is easily replaced by various shades of brownish or grayish 

 drab. The shape is consistently incrusting; the surface (as noted above) is 

 obviously punctiform; the matter of presence or absence of collars around 

 the oscules is clearly related to environmental circumstances (the stronger 

 the current the less the collar and the quieter the water the higher the collar). 

 The consistency and isodictyal structure are also consistent. European 

 specimens tend to have spicules only 3 /x by 90 /x to 5 fi by 100 /x in dimen- 

 sions, according to my field observations. Four by 110 /x is perhaps the com- 

 monest spicule size. On both coasts of the Americas, however, the spicules 

 are a little larger, about 6 ju, by 145 /x to 8 /x by 160 /x. The western Pacific 

 specimens here treated are intermediate, therefore, between American and 

 European ones. 



The species permollis may be fairly common throughout the western 

 Pacific region, because during the summer of 1949 numerous small incrust- 

 ing lavender sponges were noticed. Only a few of these were collected. Such 

 small specimens are difficult to detach. Being small to begin with and fre- 

 quently damaged in addition, they are likely to lack distinguishing charac- 

 teristics. Perhaps some day some investigator with unlimited time at his dis- 

 posal might devote several months to a study of such obscure little sponges. 

 It is suggested here that he probably will discover that a large percentage of 

 them are immature or handicapped representatives of permollis. 



The sponge described as Reniera revcrsa by Kirk, 1911, page 575, from 



