THE SPONGES OF THE WEST-CENTRAL PACIFIC 225 



* B * U - 



Text Figure No. 154. Spicules of Jaspis tuberculata. A: Oxea, X 182; the entire spicule 

 shows, but in two parts. B: Euasters, X 782. 



his specimen as having a dull pink interior. The consistency is mediocre, but 

 gritty, because the spicules are evident to the fingertips. 



The surface is irregularly tuberculate, with lumps of all sizes. The pores 

 are about 30 ^ in diameter and 40 ^ to 50 /x apart but irregularly distributed, 

 so that in some large areas none can be found. The oscules are not to be 

 discriminated from the inhalant apertures. 



The ectosome is crowded with spicules arranged horizontally, while in 

 contrast the endosome has spicules in considerable confusion. 



The skeleton comprises oxeas of great variation in size but often reach- 

 ing a maximum of 13 jx by 1155 [x or 18 /x by 900 fi. Some are at least as 

 thick as 33 \x, but the larger ones seem always to have been broken before col- 

 lecting so that maximum length cannot be given. The microscleres comprise 

 very small euasters, only 4 /x or 5 /x in total diameter. 



This species was first described as Stellettinopsis tuberculata by Carter, 

 1886, page 126, from South Australia. Sollas, 1888, page 207, transferred this 

 to Coppatias; but de Laubenfels, 1936, page 151, shows that Coppatias falls 

 in synonymy to Jaspis. Thus, this species may be said to have been transferred 

 to Jaspis in 1936. 



Jaspis stellifera (Carter) de Laubenfels 



Text Figure No. 155 



This species is here represented by the following : 

 U.S.N.M. No. 22897, My No. M. 199, collected August 10, 1949, by diver 



in Truk Lagoon just west of Moen Islet. The depth was 2 meters, and 



the substrate was dead coral. 

 U.S.N.M. No. 22900, My No. M. 203, collected August 13, 1949, by diver 



in the western portion of Truk Lagoon just south of Polle Islet. The 



depth was 4 meters, and the substrate was dead coral. 



This species is also represented by a specimen collected in the summer 

 of 1948, by T. E. Bullock, in Eniwetok Atoll of the Marshall Islands. This 

 is his number Z-147. 



This species, which is moderately common in the Truk region, has an 

 extremely irregular diameter. It appears that the tendency is to assume a 

 hollow cylindrical or tubular shape, but, because it may be growing under 

 dead coral, the environment often interferes. The central hollow is in the 



