42 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 2 72 



foramen or foramina distinctly tubular, tube ranging from short and 

 straight to long and curved, situated laterally. 



Distribution. — Ranging from India to central Africa. 



Color in life. — Insufficiently known. 



Discussion. — Stratospongilla bombayensis differs from its closest 

 congeners by the apparently characteristic arrangement of the 

 gemmoscleres, which form two distinct layers separated by an empty 

 space. Excepting this criterion, the spicular components of this 

 species are very similar to those of S. sumatrana, and additional data 

 may yet demonstrate that these two species should be united or, 

 at the most, differentiated on an infraspecific level. At the present, 

 such a decision cannot be contemplated. Annandale's (1911c) variety 

 S. b. pneumatica is difficult to distinguish from the typical species, 

 and its separation is most likely unwarranted. 



Stratospongilla sumatrana (Weber, 1890) 



Plate 3, figures 7-10 



Spongilla sumatrana Weber, 1890, p. 38.— Weltner, 1895, p. 114; 1898b, p. 128.— 



Stephens, 1919, p. 99.— Penney, 1960, p. 29. 

 Spongilla (Stratospongilla) sumatrana Annandale, 1911c, p. 53; 1918a, p. 212; 



1919a, p. 160.— Gee, 1929e, p. 297; 1930a, p. 81; 1931e, p. 50; 1932c, p. 41.— 



Arndt, 1932c, p. 566; 1938a, p. 22. 

 Spongilla sumatrana var. a Weltner, 1898b, p. 129; 1913, p. 475. — Annandale, 



1914, p. 245.— Stephens, 1919, p. 95.— Gee, 1931e, p. 50; 1932c, p. 41.— 



Arndt, 1936, p. 15.— Penney, 1960, p. 30. 

 Spongilla sumatrana var. /3 Weltner, 1898b, p. 130; 1913, p. 475. — Annandale, 



1914a, p. 245.— Stephens, 1919, p. 95.— Gee, 1932c, p. 41.— Arndt, 1936, 



p. 15.— Penney, 1960, p. 30. 

 Spongilla sumatrana var. rivularis Annandale, 1919a, p. 161. — Gee, 1931e, p. 48; 



1932c, p. 42. Penney, 1960, p. 31. 



Material. — Type and syntype material of the species proper and 

 of S. s. rivularis (USNM, IM, AmstM, N. Gist Gee). 



Description.' — Sponge, according to Weber (1890) and Gee 

 (1930a), forming thin layers of circular or irregular shape on solid 

 supports; surface described as smooth. Skeleton consisting of large, 

 loosely organized and thin spicule fibers, though compact. Consistency 

 recorded as moderately hard. 



Megascleres are almost straight, fusiform, and sharply pointed 

 amphioxea; thinly covered, except at their tips, with very short spmes 

 arising from rather broad bases; length range 210-290 ju, width range 

 9-14 II. 



Microscleres occasionally found in inner symplasm, but mostly 

 restricted to the vicinity of gemmules; they are feebly curved, sharply 

 pointed amphioxea, entirely covered with minute spinules; length 

 range 47-65 n, width range 3-4 n; a larger type of microscleres, 



