156 



THE SPONGES OF THE WEST-CENTRAL PACIFIC 



o= 



Text Figure No. 101. Spicules of Oxycarmia confundata. A: Oxea, X 182.5: Larger 



toxa, X 182. C: Tylostyle, X 782. D: Raphides, X 782. E: Smaller type of toxa, X 782. 



F: Two of the sigmas, seen from different angles, X 782. G: Palmate anisochelas, side 



and front view, X 782. H: Abnormal, perhaps arcuate anisochela, X 782. 



some the oxeas are common, being arranged in a sort of criss-cross pattern 

 with the tylostyles in bundles in among the oxeas. 



The skeleton consists first of tylostyles, straight, smooth, and thin, 1 //, 

 by 225 /x, and of very abundant oxeas, smooth and sharp-pointed, 15 jx by 

 685 [x in dimensions. A few of these have rounded ends, so that they become 

 styles and in some cases strongyles ; but the oxeote forms are very much 

 the commonest. The microscleres include very thin raphides about 0.3 jx by 

 60 [x to 120 p.. There are large toxas of typical shape, 130 fx to 235 fx in 

 length. There are also a few smaller ones only 60 \x long. The sigmas also 

 occur in two sizes ; the larger ones 70 \x long and the smaller 20 \x in chord 

 length. Only one size of chelas are found, and these are usually rather 

 typically shaped palmate anisochelas, although a very few have the central 

 projection so narrow that they might be termed arcuate anisochelas. Their 

 length is about 20 \x. This type of spicule is exceedingly uncommon in the 

 phylum Porifera. Arcuate spicules are usually isochelas rather than 

 anisochelas. 



This species, as well as the genus, is set off from other sponges by the 

 occurrence of both oxeas and tylostyles, with the peculiar microscleres as in 

 the genera Mycale and Carmia. Attention may be called to the occurrence 

 of some arcuate anisochelas. 



The specific name is derived from the Latin and refers to the curious 

 conglomeration of spicules found in this sponge. 



GENUS AXOCIELITA de Laubenfels 

 Axocielita linda, new 



Text Figure No. 102 



This species is here represented by the following : 

 U.S.N.M. No. 22860, My No. M. 154, here designated as type, collected on 

 July 11, 1949, by diver at Likiep Atoll in the southeast corner of the 



