ART. 4 SPONGES OF CALIFORNIA de LAUBENFELS 55 



algae, and similar substrates that considerable masses result. Con- 

 sistency, mediocre. Color in alcohol, drab. Oscules, not evident. 

 Pores, not evident. Surface, superficially velvety, with hispidation 

 about 300/i high. 



Ectosomal specialization, erect tylostyles, points upward. These 

 are not conspicuously pf a smaller size range than the deeper-placed 

 spicules. Endosomal structure, very scanty, in places wanting; 

 where present, of confused nature. 



Principal spicules, tylostyles (fig. 26) ; size Sfi by STojU to 20/a 

 by 480/i. 



ReTJiarks. — Prosuherites sisyrnus has spicules very much shorter 

 than those of P. longispinus and rugosus and very much thicker than 

 those of P. e'pi'phytum. The genus ProsubeHtes Topsent, 1893, tends 

 to merge into Laxosuherites Topsent, 1896, and into Suberites Nardo, 

 1833, all being in a group that much needs revision. 



Genus SUBERITES Nardo 



SUBERITES GADUS de Laubenfels 



Suherites gadus de Laubenfels, 1926, p. 571. 



Holotype.—V.^.'^M. No. 21489; B.M. No. 28.11.6.3. 



Type locality. — Near Pacific Grove, Calif., taken from a depth of 

 about 30 meters. A fisherman brought up the single specimen 

 entangled in his line. 



BescHption. — Shape, a branched cylindrical stem with enlarged 

 clavate terminations. Size of specimen, about 30 cm high, lobes about 

 2 cm in diameter and 10 cm long; the stem is about 6 mm in di- 

 ameter. Consistency, mediocre. Color in alcohol, nearly white. 

 Oscules, with rims; diameter, 1.5 to 2 mm; very irregularly scattered, 

 but about 4 or 5 to the lobe. Pores, at least 150/a in diameter. Sur- 

 face, superficially smooth. 



Ectosomal structure, 1.5 to 2 mm thick; cartilaginous; bluish white 

 in contrast to yellowish white of the endosome. The ectosome is 

 densely packed with spicules perpendicular to the surface, points 

 outward and all at about a level, so that the longer spicules run 

 deeper down into the sponge. There is some tendency for the dermal 

 spicules to be arranged in brushes. Endosomal structure : The stem 

 consists of a dark-brown central axis of densely packed longitudinally 

 placed spicules intermingled with dark granules not certainlj^, but 

 probably, cellular. Around this extends the ectosome just as over 

 the lobes. As the lobe proper is reached one finds the appearance 

 of choanosome (between the stem and ectosome), which widens until 

 it is about 6 mm thick. The prolongation of the stalk in the lobe 

 neither increases nor diminishes in size, but becomes paler and paler, 

 with more and more choanosome and fewer and fewer spicules. One 



