THE SPONGES OF THE WEST-CENTRAL PACIFIC 105 



oxea, but it might easily be confused with a strongyle. This one specimen is 

 regarded as freakish or atypical in this regard. 



The species viola is set off within the genus Adocia by the very small 

 size of its spicules. The species baeri is similar in this regard, but black in 

 life. The species neens also has small spicules, but they are typically 

 strongyles. 



The species name is given in respect to the color in life, a color which is 

 shared with Adocia cinerea. 



Adocia neens (Topsent) de Laubenfels 



Text Figure No. 66 



This species is here represented by the following : 

 U.S.N.M. No. 23001, My No. M. 380, collected July 11, 1949, by diver at 



Likiep Atoll in the southeast corner of the lagoon near the church. The 



depth was 3 meters, and the substrate was dead coral. 

 U.S.N.M. No. 23051, My No. M. 430, collected August 1, 1949, by diver in 



eastern Ponape (Matalanim) from a reef in the lagoon near an entrance 



to the lagoon. The depth was 5 meters, and the substrate was dead coral. 

 U.S.N.M. No. 23008, My No. M. 388, collected July 11, 1949, by diver at 



Likiep Atoll in the east end of the lagoon near Lado Islet. The depth 



was 5 meters, and the substrate was dead coral. 

 U.S.N.M. No. 22960, My No. M. 334, collected June 28, 1949, by diver in 



the north side of the lagoon of Majuro Atoll. The depth was 3 meters, 



and the substrate was dead coral. 

 This species was also collected in the summer of 1948, by T. E. Bullock, his 



No. C. 336, from Bikini Atoll. 



The shape is incrusting, and the thickness is usually less than 1 cm ; but 

 in one of the Likiep specimens (No. M. 388) a thickness of 3 cm was reached 

 in places. The lateral dimensions are sometimes as much as 17 cm. 



The color in life was pale lavender, inside and out, and the consistency 

 very spongy but somewhat fragile. 



The surface is level, or microscopically somewhat lumpy. The pores 

 are not microscopic, reaching a diameter of 400 p. in the Majuro specimen 



AC 



B 



Text Figure No. 66. Spicules of Adocia neens. A: Strongyle, the abundant sort, X 781. 

 B- Oxea very rare in this species, X 781. C: Juvenile spicule or perhaps a raphide, 



X 781. 



