108 



THE SPONGES OF THE WEST-CENTRAL PACIFIC 



are quite distinct species, but it is quite obvious to comment that further 

 collections and study of the genus Adocia are needed. 



GENUS TO X ADO CI A de Laubenfels 

 Toxadocia tyroeis, new 



Text Figure No. 68 



This species is here represented by the following : 

 U.S.N.M. No. 23119, My No. M. 501, here designated as type. This was 

 collected September 2, 1949, by divers northwest of Koror in Komebail 

 lagoon in the Palaus. The depth was 5 meters, and the substrate was 

 dead coral. 



The shape is a rounded mass, 6 cm high, 7 by 9 cm in horizontal 

 dimensions. 



In life, the color of the exterior was carmine red. The interior was pale 

 drab. The red color did not stop sharply, it blended into the drab throughout 

 the dermal region, 2 mm thick. The consistency was astonishingly like that 

 of cheese. 



The surface is undulatory, with lumps close to 1 mm high, but very 

 vague in outline. The pores are minute and closed, the oscules are 7 mm in 

 diameter, and there were four on the type specimen. 



The ectosome is only vaguely like that of either Adocia or Toxadocia. 

 Perhaps it fundamentally is like that of Adocia, but is obscured by the proto- 

 plasm which gives rise to the cheese-like nature. The endosome is very 

 crowded with protoplasm and with colloidal material of a gelatinous nature 

 so that it looks, feels, and cuts like cheese. Within this endosome, the iso- 

 dictyal structures are probably widespread but certainly not conspicuous. 



The skeleton consists of megascleres of one kind and microscleres of 

 two kinds. The former are oxeas, 5 jx by 140 fi to 6 fx by 160 p.. The 

 microscleres include hastate diactines, 1.5 /a by 36 /a to 2 /x by 44 /*, and toxas 

 of greatly varying size, from at least 15 \x to 50 (x in total length. 



Text Figure No. 68. Spicules of Toxadocia tyroeis, X 781. A: Two of the oxeas. 

 B: Two microxeas. C: Three toxas. 



