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THE SPONGES OF THE WEST-CENTRAL PACIFIC 



AILINGLAPL^P ATOLL 



Text Figure No. 200, Map number 15. Ailing-lap-lap Atoll. The scale reads in kilometers. 

 Stars indicate areas where sponges were most studied. 



of about one square kilometer is enclosed on the south by the Islet and on 

 the east by a reef which is exposed at low tide. This reef so bends that it 

 partially encloses the area on the north. The northwest and west sides are 

 open. This area proved to be very suitable for sponges, and is the location of 

 a large sponge farm for artificial cultivation of commercial sponges. It may 

 be the largest such farm in the world. 



The deep channel between Bikajela Islet and Ailing-lap-lap Islet proved 

 to be extremely rich in sponge life. It is 400 meters wide and about 30 meters 

 deep. In other atolls, few or no sponges could be found in the openings 

 between the ocean and the lagoon, especially if (as was often the case) the 

 opening was smaller than this one. Nevertheless, it remains an interesting 

 question as to why the Bikajela inlet was so very well provided with sponges. 



In summary of this ecological and distributional discussion, we note 

 that the sponges of these oceanic islands, thousands of kilometers from 

 continental sponges, are principally characterized by the many which 

 are unique. Where some can be identified with previously described species, 



