30 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 272 



species with noncoherent gemmules, sufficiently not to be confused 

 with it and certainly cannot be mistaken for any other species. 

 Although additional studies of African spongillids are very desu-able, 

 E. michaelseni can reliably be considered a good species. 



Eunapius crassissimus (Annandale, 1907) 



Plate 2, figures 10, 11 



Spongilla crassissima Annandale, 1907c, p. 17; 1911c, p. 98; 1918a, p. 212. — Gee, 



1931e, p. 36; 1932c, p. 37.— Penney, 1960, p. 16. 

 Spongilla crassissima var. bigemmulata Annandale, 1907c, p. 18. 

 Spongilla crassior Annandale, 1907b, p. 389. 

 Spongilla crassissima var. crassior Annandale, 1911c, p. 98; 1918a, p. 212. — 



Stephens, 1919, p. 97.— Gee, 1931e, p. 36; 1932c, p. 37.— Penney, 1960, p. 16. 



Material. — Material and slides of types of species and "varieties" 

 listed; material and slides from India (N. Gist Gee and HM). 



Description. — Sponge, according to Annandale (1907), forming 

 massive encrusting growths; surface without noticeable projections, 

 but hispid due to projecting spicule fibers; oscula grouped in star- 

 shaped areas, conspicuous; dermal membrane well developed. Skele- 

 ton formed of very firm spicule fibers and extensive webs of spongin. 

 Consistency of live sponge very hard. 



Megascleres, in mature form, invariably stout, cylindrical, and 

 completely smooth amphistrongyla, often bearing a minute terminal 

 projection; immature megascleres often slender amphioxea; length 

 range 250-310 n, width range 6-15 ju. 



Microscleres absent. 



Gemmoscleres rather short and cylindrical amphistrongyla, or 

 abruptly pointed amphioxea, entirely covered with small and irregular 

 spines; length range 80-120 fx, width range 3-9 n. 



Gemmules moderately abundant in mature sponge, spherical, 

 diameter of inner gemmular membrane 280-310 n; usually confined 

 to base of sponge, but not forming distinct pavement layer, occasion- 

 ally in free groups of 4 to 8; pneumatic layer well developed and 

 thick, consisting of large polygonal air spaces, and forming a continu- 

 ous coat over the gemmules; gemmoscleres embedded in this layer 

 strictly tangentially over the gemmular membrane, and in an h'- 

 regular manner in the interstices; often arranged in two separate 

 tiers above the gemmules, separated from each other by the thick 

 pneumatic coat; foramen invariably tubular, porus tube moderately 

 long, rarely projecting beyond surface of pneumatic layer. 



Distribution. — Apparently restricted to India and tropical SE. 

 Asia, possibly occurring in Australia (Racek, MS.). 



Color in life. — Dark leaden gray to dull green. 



