THE SPONGES OF THE WEST-CENTRAL PACIFIC 195 



phlox. The other subgenus contains problematicus from California, and this 

 species osiris, from the west Pacific. The strongyles of osiris are much smaller 

 than those of problematicus, and its oxeote spicules are much longer. Its 

 raphide-like category is much more conspicuous and abundant. The species 

 melanos does not fit well into either of these two hypothetical subgenera. 



The species name here selected is that of an ancient Egyptian deity and 

 has no descriptive significance. 



GENUS DICTYONELLA Schmidt 

 Dictyonella dasyphylla, new 



Text Figure No. 132 

 Plate VII, Figure b 



This species is here represented by the following : 

 U.S.N.M. No. 23102, My No. M. 484, here designated as type, collected 

 September 1, 1949, by divers in Iwayama Bay, near Koror in the Palaus. 

 This was in muddy water discolored with vegetable material and was 

 near mangroves. The depth was 2 meters, and substrate was dead coral. 



This is an elaborate sponge, between ramose and lamellate, the branches 

 being flat. It reaches a vertical measurement of at least 10 cm, and the leaflike 

 lobes are 1 to 2 mm thick and about 10 mm wide. 



The exterior color in life was dark slaty gray, and the interior was dark 

 dull green. The consistency was spongy. 



The surface is coarsely hispid, with enormous spicules protruding 3 to 

 4 mm above the surface, about 1 mm apart. The pores and oscules cannot be 

 made out. 



The ectosomal specialization is merely a thin fleshy dermis, not separable, 

 and the endosome is chiefly fleshy with the spicules more or less in confusion. 

 It cannot be said even that the points are always directed towards the surface. 



Text Figure No 132. Spicules of Dictyonella dasyphylla. A: Style, X 182. B and C: 

 Style of the smaller size range, X 781 ; the mid portion is not shown, only the termina- 

 tions. D: Head of one of the larger monaxon megascleres, showing a subtylostylote 



condition, X 781. 



