

THE SPONGES OF THE WEST-CENTRAL PACIFIC \7\ 



Text Figure No. 111. Spicule (strongyle) of Auletta bia, X 782. 



and, therefore, are smaller in diameter near the surface. These contain, and 

 are rendered somewhat plumose by, numerous spicules. These are regarded 

 here as typically all oxeas, but many of them are blunted at one or both ends 

 so that they might almost be called styles or strongyles. These are excep- 

 tionally straight and smooth spicules, about 7 p. by 510 /x in dimensions. 



This species is set off from others in the genus Auletta first of all by 

 the thinness of its spicules, inasmuch as practically all of the sponges of this 

 genus have much thicker megascleres. The peculiar surface also is distinc- 

 tive. Perhaps the closest species to bia is one first described as Spongia 

 lyrata by Esper, 1806, page 41. Dendy, 1905, page 194, said that this re- 

 ceived in synonymy his Auletta aurantiaca published in 1889, page 92, also 

 from Ceylon. Dendy emphasized for the specimens which he saw alive 

 their exceedingly bright orange color, and it also is noteworthy that this 

 species aurantiaca or lyrata has an hispid surface. 



The specific name bia is derived from a Greek word meaning "coarse." 



GENUS HOMAXINELLA Topsent 

 Homaxinella trachys, new 



Text Figure No. 112 



This species is here represented by the following: 

 U.S.N.M. No. 22990, My No. M. 368, here designated as type, collected July 

 7, 1949, by diver at Ebon Atoll near the southeast side of the lagoon. 

 The depth was 2 meters, and the substrate was dead coral. On the 

 shoals near the center of the lagoon of Ebon Atoll, dozens of specimens 

 of this species were observed. 



The shape is lobate to flabellate, reaching a vertical measurement of 7 

 cm and a diameter of 4 cm. 



The color in life was bright orange to vermillion red, both as to endo- 

 some and ectosome. The consistency was stiffly spongy. 



The surface is compound rough like that of the preceding species, or 

 like that of the genus Higginsia, but has coarser tubercles which are in turn 

 granular or tuberculate. In this species, however, it was possible to make 

 out the pores, which proved to be 80 /x to 180 fx in diameter. They are so 

 close together in the grooves between the tubercles that the barriers between 



Text Figure No. 112. Spicule (style) of Homaxvnella trachys, X 182. 



