502 A MONOGRAPH OF THE AUSTRALIAN SPONGES, 



manner that the concave side looks towards the surface and the 

 convex side towards the interior. These primary connecting fibres 

 are joined to each other by secundaiy radial libres which are much 

 thinner, straight and short, in some species the primary fibres are 

 not qni:.e straight, but slightly bent at the joining points of the 

 radial secundaries. 



SPECIES. EUSPONGIA CANALICULATA. Von Lendenfeld. 



EUSPONGIA ANFRACTUOSA. Carter (1). 



I distinguish three varieties of this species, namely : — 

 T. Eibspo'iigia canaliculata dura, 

 II. Euspongia canaliculata elastica and 

 III. Euspongia canaliculata mollissima. 

 Carter's Euspongia anfractiwsa mentioned above is identical with 

 my variety E. c. dura. 



Shape and Size. 



Euspongia canaliculata resembles in appearance certain forms of 

 Euspongia zimocca F. E. Schulze (2) pretty closely. It is irregular, 

 massive, spherical, attached by a small, slightly protruding portion 

 of the broad base and bears on its upper side numerous short 

 digitate processes, which are hollow. 



These are about as long as broad and rounded on the summit. 

 They measure 10-20 mm., both w?ys. 



The size of the whole sponge is the same in the three varieties, 

 the largest specimens measure 150 mm., in breadth and 100 mm., 

 in height. 



The skeleton in particular, and to a certain extent also the dry 

 specimens show deep, and irregular more or less longitudinally 

 disposed ;;^rooves in the surface, which occasionally reach down to 



(1) //. J. Carter. Description of Sponges from Port Phillip Heads, South 

 Australia, continued. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, Series 

 5, Vol. XV., p. 316. 



(2) F. E. Schulze. Untersuchungen iiber den Bau und die Entwickelung der 

 Spongien, VII., Mittheilung ; Die Familie der Spongidte. Zeitschrift fiir 

 wissenschaftliohe Zoologie. Band XXXII., Seite 615. 



