THE SPONGES OF THE WEST-CENTRAL PACIFIC 289 



that I could identify it with any certainty. It is put here largely on 

 surmise. 



T. E. Bullock collected in 1948, also at Bikini as well as at Eniwetok. 

 This collection was also sent to me, but again without data, only that these 

 sponges were from somewhere in Bikini. Seven species are included, and 

 quite unlike the situation at Eniwetok, more than half of them had been in 

 the earlier collections by Morrison. 



1 Spongia officinalis subspecies matamata. This also was in Morrison's 

 collection from Bikini. 



2 Ircinia halmiformis, also in Bullock's collection from Eniwetok. 



3 Thorectopsamma xana, also in Bullock's collection from Eniwetok. 



4 Adocia turquoisia, also in Morrison's collection from Bikini. 



5 Kieplitela antrodes, also in Morrison's collection from Bikini. 



6 Cinachyra australiensis, also in Morrison's collection from Bikini. 



7 Jaspis tuberctdata. I found this also at Likiep, earlier records have 

 been Australian. Bullock had a Jaspis from Eniwetok, but it seems 

 to be /. stellifcra rather than /. tuberculata. The two are closely 

 related. 



Rongerik Atoll was studied in 1947 by F. M. Bayer and F. C. Zimmer- 

 man. They collected some sponges which were sent to me for examination. 

 Most of their specimens were Cliona lobata, which I found to be abundant at 

 Likiep (near Rongerik) and at Ebon and at Truk. It is probably a cosmo- 

 politan species and has records from Japan and many places in the Atlantic 

 Ocean. 



They also had a specimen of Callyspongia fistidaris, which I found at 

 Majuro and Ebon. It has been previously recorded from the Indian Ocean 

 region. 



At Likiep Atoll, my studies were confined to the eastern half of the 

 lagoon. Natives who were familiar with the entire Atoll doubted that any 

 region in the western half would have been as suitable for sponges, and 

 study of the charts did not give promise of extra good collecting in the west- 

 ern half. Transportation difficulties were a factor. 



Likiep sponges were not found large in numbers or as individuals. All 

 indications are that the more northerly atolls of the Marshalls are dryer 

 and poorer in marine life than the more southerly atolls. They certainly have 

 less luxuriant vegetation and fewer types of vegetation (such as breadfruit) 

 than those which are abundant farther south. 



Majuro Atoll was studied carefully, the shallow waters of the lagoon 

 being investigated at the north, south, east, and west. In general, sponges 

 were small and scarce. Probably the largest species was Spongia officinalis, 

 found near the east end of the lagoon. 



