114 



THE SPONGES OF THE WEST-CENTRAL PACIFIC 



Morrison at Bikini Atoll, 7 kilometers south of the west end of Bikini 

 Islet. This was dredged from a depth of 50 meters on a bottom of 

 coralline algae (Halimeda). 



U.S.N.M. No. 22804, My No. N. 009, collected at the same time and locality 

 as the preceding, a typical mauritiana. 



U.S.N.M. No. 22809, My No. N. 015, collected June 5, 1946, by W. R. Tay- 

 lor at Eniwetok Atoll, 8 kilometers north of the south anchorage in the 

 center of the lagoon. This was dredged from a depth of 35 meters. 



On August 3, 1949, sponges were collected in the western portion of 

 Ponape from the reef near Tavak Passage at a depth of 3 meters. These 

 contained foreign spicules certainly of the genus Agelas, almost certainly of 

 the species mauritiana. This warrants including Agelas in the fauna of 

 Ponape. 



The first specimen is oval and 4 cm in diameter; the second is a crust, 

 1 cm thick and 6 cm in diameter; and the third is ramose with branches less 

 than 1 cm in diameter and a total height of 6 cm. The latter probably repre- 

 sents the real shape for this species, the other two having been stunted by 

 environmental conditions. The specimens from Bikini (apparently from the 

 same dredge haul) vary from massive to string-like ramose. 



Text Figure No. 72. Agelas mauritiana. A: A bit of the skeletal reticulation, X 182. 

 B: One of the spicules (verticilate acanthostyle), X 781. 



