6 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM vol.81 



Suborder AMPHIDISCOPHORA F. E. Schulze, 1899 



Family PHERONEMATIDAE J. E. Gray, 1870 



Genus PHERONEMA Leidy, 1868 



PHERONEMA GIGANTEUM F. E. Schulze 



Pheronema giganteum F. E. Schui^ze, Rep. Vuy. Challenger, vol. 21, pp. 

 250-254, pi. 45, figs. 1-11, pi. 46, figs. 1-11, 1887 ; Sitzber. kon. preuss. Akad. 

 AViss. Berlin, 1893, p. 5G3. — Ijima, ;Si&o^a-Expeditie, vol. 6, pp. 10-17, pi. 5, 

 figs. 1-7, 1927. 



Two specimens of this species were obtained from the same station. 

 No. 4933, off Kagoshima Gulf, at a depth of 152 fathoms. Of these, 

 one is of a complete, large globular form and is beset with numerous 

 prominently protruded bundles of cuspidates, which attain a length 

 of 45 mm beyond the sponge dermal surface. The sponge body meas- 

 ures 80 mm in height and 68 mm in maximum diameter. The 

 external surface of the skin, as seen between the laterally projecting 

 tufts of spicules, appears to the naked eye very uniform and even. 

 The osculum is nearly circular and measures 9 mm in diameter; 

 its margin is not raised and it is entirely free from such marginalia 

 as seen in the C hallenger specimen. The gastral cavity, which at- 

 tains a depth of 30 mm, is narrow, nearly smooth, and even on the 

 surface. 



The smaller specimen is incomplete, the ujDper half or more having 

 entirely fallen off. The barrel-shaped mesamphidisk, as observed in 

 the specimen of Challenger collection, seems to be entirely absent 

 over the body of the sponge in hand. 



A cuspidate, larger than any described for this species by previous 

 authors, occurs more rarely, intermixed with the other cuspidates. 

 It measures 2 mm long or more and 40;li to 50|U, broad at the middle, 

 attenuating gradually toward the distal end protruding from the 

 sponge body. The surface of the spicule is covered with prominent 

 short spines projected directly toward both lateral sides. Their 

 sizes increase toward the distal end of the spicule, which is beset 

 with two prominent distally directed spines on each side, and 

 diminish toward the proximal end, imbedded in the spongy body. 



In most particulars of the spiculation, the present specimens are 

 quite similar to those of the Sihoga expedition and show features 

 somewhat different from the Challenger specimen. 



PHERONEMA GLOBOSUM KAGOSHIMENSIS, new subspecies 



Plate 1, Figxjee 4 



A large complete specimen (holotype, U.S.N.M. No. 22026), 

 for which I establish this new form, was collected from a spot off 



