44 U.S. NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 272 



species now to be restored, i.e., S. sumatrana and S. indica. Unfor- 

 tunately, such a distribution can only be contemplated for such 

 "varieties" of both species that are represented in the material for our 

 present study, and a future detailed comparative study of all forms 

 involved appears highly desirable. The synonymies, as listed under 

 S. sumatrana and S. indica, respectively, are therefore not to be 

 considered a final solution of this challenging taxonomic problem. 



Of the "varieties" present in our material or well documented in 

 the literature available, only S. sumatrana rivularis can reasonably be 

 placed within the closer complex of S. sumatrana, since in that variety 

 the majority of megascleres are distinct though somewhat abruptly 

 pointed amphioxea. The "varieties" aS'. s. centralis, S. s. siamensis, 

 and S. s. baniensis certainly appear much closer related to S. indica 

 and should therefore be transferred to the complex of the latter species, 

 since all these forms possess amphistrongyious megascleres. 



Stratospongilla indica (Annandale, 1908) 



PlATK 3, FIGURES 11-14 



Spongilla indica Annandale, 1908a, p. 25; 1911c, p. 100; 1912d, p. 384. 

 Spongilla sumatrana var. indica Annandale, 1918a, p. 212; 1919a, p. 161. — 



Stephens, 1919, p. 99.— Gee, 1931e, p. 40; 1932c, p. 42.— Penney, 1960, p. 



31. 

 Spongilla sumatrana var. centralis Annandale, 1919a, p. 161. — Gee, 1931e, p. 3.5; 



1932c, p. 41.— Penney, 1960, p. 30. 

 Spongilla sumatrana var. baniensis Topsent, 1932a, p. 578. — Arndt, 1936, p. 16. — 



Penney, 1960, p. 30. 

 Spongilla sumatrana var. siamensis Gee, 1932g, p. 305. — Suvatti, 1950, p. 3. 



Material. — Slides of type and syntype material of nominal species 

 and of all varieties except S. s. baniensis (IM, AmstM, N. Gist Gee) . 



Description. — Sponge forming small and shallow cushions on 

 solid supports; external surface smooth, oscula minute. Skeleton rather 

 loosely defined, consisting of slender spicule fibers. Consistency of 

 live sponge apparently hard but brittle. 



Megascleres moderately long, almost straight, cylindrical amphi- 

 strongyla, covered with a number of short and minute spines, arising 

 from a rather broad base; tips of scleres often surrounded by several 

 "rings" of smaller spines; length range 210-270 //, width range 

 12-17 fx. 



Microscleres almost straight, more or less sharply pointed amphi- 

 oxea, covered mth relatively long and irregular spines inserted at 

 right angles to the axis of the sclere; length range 37-59 (x, width 

 range 3-4 fx. 



Gemmoscleres feebly curved to straight, stout amphistrongyla, 

 densely covered with minute granules or blunt spines; length range 

 35-48 n, width range 7-8 fx. 



