ART. 4 SPONGES OF CALIFOENIA DE LAUBENFELS 31 



orthotriaenes to plagiotriaenes to dichotriaenes (fig. 11, G) ; size of 

 rhabds, 2tV by 2,000/^ to 100/x by 3,000/x, chords 120/x to 180;u. (See 

 below for further details.) Microscleres, euasters (fig. 11, A', Z, M, 

 N) ; diameter, 9^ to 15/a. Their rays vary from oxeote to strongylote, 

 and from spiny to smooth ; they are located throughout the sponge. 



I find also small siliceous structures (fig. 11, O^ P) in some parts 

 of some specimens; these may be malformed microscleres, a second 

 sort of microsclere, or (more probably) foreign inclusions. 



Remarks. — The nearest relative of this form seems to be S. lenden- 

 feldi Sollas, 1888, from Australia, which differs in having tylasters; 

 these two and S. estrella are unique in the small size of the aquif- 

 erous apertures. 



Related species of this genus are reported from all parts of the 

 world. 



STELLETTA ESTRELLA de Laubenfels 



Stelletta estrella de Laubenfels, 1930, p. 26. 



Holotype.—U.S.HHM. No. 21399; B.M. No. 29.9.30.10. 



Type locality. — Southern California, collected by the University 

 of Southern California, July 10, 1926. Exact locality not known. 



Additional material exainined. — I collected two specimens at 

 Laguna Beach, intertidal. Two others were dredged by the Univer- 

 sity of Southern California — one September 26, 1925, near Long 

 Beach, depth 28 meters, the other October 10, 1925, near San Pedro, 

 depth 41 meters. 



Description. — Shape, subspherical to massive. Size, up to 5 cm 

 thick and at least 7 cm in diameter. Consistency, spongy to car- 

 tilaginous. Color in life and when preserved, white, often dirty. 

 Oscules, inconspicuous, diameter about 1 mm; they are merely scat- 

 tered, simple holes. Pores, at least ISO/a diameter, abundant, scat- 

 tered. Surface, superficially very hirsute, often much covered by 

 foreign material. 



Ectosomal specialization, cortical, about 1 mm thick; it is car- 

 tilaginous, hyaline, dense, and contains a few asters and is trav- 

 ersed by megascleres. There is a spicule fur, 1 to 3 mm high, of 

 erect spicules, mostly plagiotriaenes with their cladomes far out 

 from the sponge surface. Endosomal structure, fundamentally radi- 

 ate in plan, though this is obscured in the central portions of older 

 specimens. 



Principal spicules, oxeas (fig. 12, 7^, G., H) ; size 45/x by 2,600/x 

 to 100/A by 4,000^. Ectosomal spicules, plagiomonaenes, diaenes, or 

 triaenes (fig. 12, ^, 5, C ., />, E) ; size of rhabds 9/x to 78,a by 4,000/x, 

 chords 35/i to 200/^. The latter two sorts now and then have the 

 dicho-modification; some of the larger ones are plagiomesotriaenes.. 



