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THE SPONGES OF THE WEST-CENTRAL PACIFIC 



FAMILY CHONDROSIIADAE Schulze 

 GENUS CHONDROSIA Nardo 

 Chondrosia chucalla de Laubenfels 



Text Figure No. 178 



This species is here represented by the following: 



U.S.N.M. No. 22829, My No. M. 104, collected June 11, 1949, by hand 

 while wading in the south part of the lagoon near Bikajela Islet at Ailing- 

 lap-lap Atoll. The depth was just below low tide and the substrate was 

 dead coral. This species was abundant in this vicinity. 



U.S.N.M. No. 22942, My No. M. 312, collected June 20, 1949, by diver at 

 Ailing-lap-lap Atoll in the channel between the ocean and the lagoon, 

 east of Bikajela Islet. The depth was 10 meters, and the substrate was 

 dead coral. 



U.S.N.M. No. 22943, My No. M. 313, collected June 20, 1949, at the same 

 locality as that of the preceding specimen, but the substrate was another 

 living sponge. 



U.S.N.M. No. 22813, My No. N. 019, collected April 25, 1946, by J. P. E. 

 Morrison at Bikini Atoll 500 meters west of the southeast point of 

 Bikini Islet. The depth was 6 meters. This is a dubious specimen. 



Chondrosia chuchalla is a semi-incrusting species, being about 4 mm 

 thick and meandering indefinitely laterally. 



The color in life was black on the exterior and slaty drab in the interior. 

 The consistency was cartilaginous. 



The surface is smooth and lipostomous. 



The ectosome is fleshy, about 100 /a thick, and the interior very car- 

 tilaginous and dense. 



This species, like all of the genus, has apparently no spicules or mineral 

 skeleton but only the mesogloea or jelly. A warning may be offered that if a 

 large enough number of specimens are macerated, a few spicules might be 

 found. 



Text Figure No. 178. Section of Chondrosia chucalla, perpendicular to the surface, 

 X 182. A: Surface. B: Sections of canals. A few of the cells are indicated. 



