228 THE SPONGES OE THE WEST-CENTRAL PACIFIC 



The genus Dorypleres was established by Sollas, 1888, page 426, but 

 reduced in synonymy to J as pis by Topsent, 1904, page 131. It is here restored 

 for those species which have two or more distinct categories of asters, where- 

 as Jos pis has just one category of aster. Dorypleres still differs from Rhabda- 

 strella of Thiele, 1903, page 934, in which some of the asters are spherasters. 

 Dorypleres includes the type, dendyi Sollas, also biangulata Lindgren, investi- 

 gatrix Annandale, novae zcalandiae Dendy, and serpentina Wilson. From all 

 these species, splendens differs in its brilliant coloration, in its pronouncedly 

 digitate structure, and in details of the characteristics of the asters. 



The species name alludes to its beautiful appearance. 



GENUS JASPLAKINA, new 



This genus is here established to be at least temporarily within the 

 family Jaspidae, but this allocation is open to considerable debate, because 

 there is reason for placing this new genus in the family Halinidae near the 

 genus Astro plak'ma. The type is to be the following new species, Jasplakina 

 nux. This genus may be described as comprising sponges with oxeas of two or 

 more distinct types, at least one of which is a microxea. There are euasters 

 and also spicules which may be regarded either as very large euasters with 

 few rays, thus justifying allocation in the family Jaspidae or contrariwise 

 as being reduced calthrops or tetraxon spicules. In the latter case, the genus 

 should belong in the family Halinidae. 



Jasplakina nux, new 



Text Figure No. 157 



This species is here represented by the following: 

 U.S.N.M. No. 23120, My No. M. 502, here designated as type, collected 

 September 2, 1949, by diver in Komebail Lagoon of the Palaus northwest 

 of Koror. The depth was 5 meters, and the substrate was dead coral. 



This sponge is a rounded mass 6 by 8 cm in diameter and 5 cm high. 



The exterior color in life was jet black; the endosome was pale drab. 

 There was an area, about 1 mm thick, blending from the black color to the 

 paler interior. After preservation in alcohol, the external color was still 

 black, but the area of blending had shrunk noticeably so that the dark area 

 had become only 200 fx thick. The consistency was like that of cheese, easily 

 cut. 



The surface is undulate, almost lobed, with abundant pores about 40 fi 

 in diameter and 100 p. to 160 /x apart, center to center. The specimen has only 

 three oscules, widely scattered, each about 6 mm in diameter. 



The ectosome is separated from the endosome by definite subdermal 



