THE SPONGES OF THE WEST-CENTRAL PACIFIC 157 



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Text Figure No. 102. Spicules of Axocielita linda, X 782. A: Smaller tylostyle; the 



entire spicule is shown, but in two parts. B: Only the head of one of the larger tylo- 



styles. C: Toxas of larger and smaller size. D: Palmate isochelas. 



lagoon near the church. The depth was 3 meters, and the substrate was 

 dead coral. 



U.S.N.M. No. 22830, My No. M. 106, collected June 11 by hand while wad- 

 ing at Ailing-lap-lap Atoll near the south portion of the lagoon. The 

 depth was near low tide mark, and the substrate was dead coral. 



U.S.N.M. No. 22898, My No. M. 200, collected August 10, 1949, by diver 

 at Moen Islet in Truk lagoon. The depth was 2 meters, and the substrate 

 was dead coral. 



U.S.N.M. No. 22901, My No. M. 205, collected August 13, 1949, by diver 

 from the west portion of Truk lagoon south of Polle Islet near man- 

 groves. The water was colored brown with organic material. The 

 depth was 1 meter, and the substrate was fragments of dead coral. 



This species was common in the lagoons of Ailing-lap-lap and Likiep 

 Atoll and in the vicinity of Truk. It quite likely occurs in many other por- 

 tions of the western Pacific. Thin red crusts, too minute to be detached, 

 are extremely widespread. Many of these, not successfully collected, may 

 have been of the present species. 



As noted above, this is regularly a very thin crust, about 300 /*, to about 

 1 mm in thickness. The exception was Specimen No. M. 205, collected near 

 mangroves from water full of plant coloring material. This specimen in 

 places reached a thickness of 10 mm but remained incrusting without any 

 tendency to proliferate. Lateral growth was indefinite, often as much as 

 14 cm. 



The color in life was bright spectral red, and the consistency mediocre, 

 often somewhat slimy. 



The surface is smooth and regularly lipostomous, although in some cases 

 subdermal canals show like miniature river systems. It is probable that these 

 terminate at oscules, which are quickly closed. 



