REVISION OF FRESHWATER SPONGES OF SPONGILLIDAE 79 



Megascleres slender amphioxea, covered with minute rounded 

 spines or tubercles except at their tips. Length and width ranges 

 comparable with those of P. aurea. 



Alicroscleres of two distinct kinds: (1) slender, fusiform, spiny, 

 and straight amphioxea; and (2) subspherical tuberculate spherasters; 

 length range of (1) 52-56 n, width range 2.5-4 /x; diameter of (2) 

 8-13 M. 



Gemmoscleres resembling those of P. aurea but a little stouter. 



Gemmules indistinguishable from those of the previous species. 



Distribution. — Hitherto known only from India. 



Color in life. — Not yet observed. 



Discussion. — It is possible that future research and a larger range 

 of specimens may demonstrate that even P. aurea possesses a certain 

 percentage of microspined megascleres, which at present cannot be 

 found in the type slide of that species. The microscleres of series 

 (1) in P. stellifera are slightly longer, but otherwise fully comparable 

 with the same series of the pre^dous species; the spherasters, however, 

 have not yet been found in any other species of the genus, although 

 they possibly represent ecomorphic malformations. 



Pectispongilla subspinosa Annandale, 1911 



Plate 6, figures 16, 19 



Pectispongilla aurea var. subspinosa Annandale, 1911c, p. 107; 1912d, p. 384. 

 Pectispongilla subspinosa Annandale, 1915a, p. 177; 1918a, p. 212. — Gee, 1931e, 

 p. 50; 1932c, p. 35.— Penney, 1960, p. 9. 



Material. — Two slides from syntype (N. Gist Gee) . 



Description. — Sponge, according to Annandale (1911c, 1915a), 

 similar in shape and structure to P. aurea. 



Megascleres smiilar in shape and structure to those of P. stellifera, 

 but their spines are somewhat more conspicuous. 



Microscleres apparently of only one series, comparable to those of 

 series (1) in P. aurea in all characteristics. 



Gemmoscleres and gemmules are indistinguishable from those of 

 P. stellifera. 



Distribution. — Hitherto known only from India. 



Color in life. — Not yet reliably recorded. 



Discussion. — P. subspinosa does not display any criteria of im- 

 portance that can be used for its separation from P. stellifera, 

 apart from the absence of the spherasters found in the latter species. 

 The series (2) of microscleres, recorded by Annandale (1915a, p. 177) 

 as being truncate at their ends and bearing rudimentary rotules, 

 must be dismissed as belonging to the genus, since they represent 

 typical gemmoscleres of Radiospongilla indica present on the same 

 slide. 



