REVISION OF FRESHWATER SPONGES OF SPONGILLIDAE 143 



Color in life. — Pale yellow to light brown. 



Discussion. — The difficulties in distinguishing the many "varieties" 

 from the typical T. philottiana were commented on by Gee (1932b). 

 The reexamination of type material of all "varieties" during the 

 present study made it clear that the minor differences of criteria 

 in the various forms do not afford means of racial discrimination. 

 Apart from size differences of spicular components, such as can be 

 observed in T. ph. minima and which certainly are the result of an 

 adverse envu'onment, there are only minor differences in the shape 

 and structure of megascleres within the entire group. T. ph. tunghuen- 

 sis and to a certain degree also T. ph. javanensis occasionally possess 

 megascleres of almost amphioxous shape, but such scleres can also 

 be observed in a range of specimens of the typical species. Since it 

 appears impossible to find constant criteria to distinguish the many 

 formerly established "varieties," all varietal forms must be relegated 

 to synonyms of T. philottiana. 



However, the nomenclatural problems of the entire T. philottiana 

 group do not rest w^th this decision. Arndt (1938a) recorded this 

 species for the first time for Africa, after comparing his specimens 

 with the description of Spongilla tanganyikae by Evans (1899) and 

 Kirkpatrick (1906). From Bm'ton's (1938) account of Trochospongilla 

 tanganyikae, as well as from our examinations of M. vesparia from 

 Africa, with which the former is associated, it is obvious that Burton's 

 T. tanganyikae certaiuly is a typical T. philottiana. While the latter 

 can now be recorded for the second time from African waters, the 

 identity of S. tanganyikae has still to be resolved, since material of 

 it was not available for the present study. Should later research dem- 

 onstrate the correctness of our presently ill-documented view 

 that Evans' insufficiently described S. tanganyikae is identical with T. 

 philottiana, the latter name will have to be relegated to a synonym, 

 and the sponge here discussed to be referred to as T. tanganyikae. 



Genus Uruguaya Carter, 1881 



Uruguaya Carter, 1881a, p. 100.— Potts, 1887, p. 268.— Kirsch, 1909, p. 36.— 

 Annandale, 1911c, p. 27.— Cordero, 1925, p. 117.— Gee, 1931e, p. 51; 1932c, 

 p. 44.— De Laubenfels, 1936, p. 37.— Penney, 1960, p. 60. 



Drulia Gray, 1867, p. 552 (part). 



Type species. — ^By original designation Spongilla corallioides 

 Bowerbank (1863). 



Definition. — Megascleres stout to very stout amphistrongyla, 

 either entirely smooth or delicately granulated; often more than one 

 class present, occasionally also slender amphioxea. 



Microscleres absent. 



Gemmoscleres minute birotulates with stout, smooth, and short 



