250 THE SPONGES OF THE WEST-CENTRAL PACIFIC 



0. 



Text Figure No. 173. Spicules of Chondrilla australiensis , X 782. A: Spheraster. 



B: Oxyeuaster. 



Majuro Atoll. The depth was 3 meters, the substrate dead coral. This 

 species was very common in this vicinity. 

 U.S.N.M. No. 22861, My No. M. 155, collected July 11, 1949, by diver at 

 Likiep Atoll in the southeast portion of the lagoon near the church. The 

 depth was 3 meters and the substrate was dead coral. This species was 

 abundant throughout Likiep Atoll. 



T. E. Bullock also collected this species in the summer of 1948, in 

 the Eniwetok Atoll of the Marshall Islands. His Specimen No. Z. 9. This is a 

 cake-shaped or semi-incrusting species, often as much as 7 mm thick and up to 

 7 cm in diameter. 



In life the exterior color was black or nearly black but the endosome only 

 drab. The consistency was very much like that of cartilage. 



The surface is shiny smooth and is lipostomous. 



The ectosome is a very thin, fleshy dermis, and the endosome is also 

 densely fleshy. The flagellate chambers are small and round, about 20 /x to 

 35 ju, in diameter. 



The skeleton consists principally of mesogloea or jelly, which is more 

 or less present in all sponges. In addition, there are two types of microsclere. 

 One is a euaster, and the other is a spheraster. These are from 21 fx to 30 /x 

 in diameter. 



The species Chondrilla australiensis is sharply set off from others in the 

 genus by its possession of both euasters and spherasters. It is common 

 throughout the Australian region only and was described first by Carter, 1873, 

 page 23. 



Chondrilla nucula Schmidt 



Text Figure No. 174 



This species is here represented by the following : 

 U.S.N.M. No. 22846, My No. M. 140, collected July 5, 1949, by diver at 

 Ebon Atoll from the Pearl Pool, which is near the west end of the 

 lagoon. The depth was 1 meter, and the substrate dead coral. This species 

 was found also in the miniature lagoon in the southwest corner of the 

 Atoll. It was abundant throughout the whole lagoon. 



