ART. 4 SPONGES OF CALIFORNIA de LAUBENFELS 89 



genus. If separate genera, such as Lissodendoryx and MyxiUa are 

 to be established upon a distinction of chela form, the Californian 

 form with its contort desmalike obscure birotulates deserves a sep- 

 arate genus from Hymetrochota. H. rotula has megascleres much 

 larger than those in Hyinenamphiastra^ and has neat symmetrical 

 birotulates of the lotrochota type. Reference to the anchorate chelas 

 and the sigmas found in one place in H. cymiocvyyta is interesting, 

 because that portion exactlj^ answers to the description of Bower- 

 bank's Hymedes7nia. RyineiiaiiifMastra^ Hymetrochota^ Hymedes- 

 niia, and Hymesigma are clearly very closely related. 



Genus ANAATA de Laubenfels, new name 



Aaata ue Laubknfels, 1930, p. 27 (preoccupied). 



The genus Anaata may be characterized as of the family Hymedes- 

 miidae, with smooth monaxons in the ectosome, spiny monaxons in 

 the endosome, and isochelas as microscleres. Genotype: Anaata 

 spongigartina. 



ANAATA SPONGIGARTINA de Laubenfels 



Aaata spongigartina de Laxjbexfexs. 1930. p. 27. 



Holotype.—V.S.^M. No. 21428; B.M. No. 29.8.22.13. 



7'ype locality. — Pescadero Point, near Carmel, Calif., May 11, 

 1929, intertidal, collected by me. At this locality is a spot, readily 

 recognized from year to year, where there has been a growth of this 

 sponge since 1925. It must either persist or recur regularly with 

 brief absences; the former theory appearing much the more plausi- 

 ble. I know of onl}^ this one colony of this species in central Cali- 

 fornia. On July 18, 1914, the University of Southern California 

 collected this species on the wood pilings of the " Long ^Hiiarf ," 

 which was at Santa Monica, in southern California. Their speci- 

 men resembles the type to the most minute details that I could 

 observe. 



Description. — Shape, encrusting. Size, 5 mm thick and about 4 

 by 10 cm in area as growing. The specimens removed were but 

 portions of this. Consistency, spongy. Color in life, rich brown, 

 slightly reddish; preserved, very pale drab. Oscules — pores — cra- 

 terlike openings over the entire surface, about one to each four 

 square millimeters. Only the one sort of opening could be observed, 

 and no decision is given as to whether all are exhalent or some in- 

 halent. Each crater is externally a subspherical pit about 200/x in 

 diameter surrounded bj^ sphinctrate contractile tissue. This does not 

 operate so as to obliterate the pit by contraction, but as follows : At 

 the rim of the crater is a palisade of very straight subtylostyles, 

 points outward, about 100/x of each extending beyond the protoplas- 



