82 UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN 251 



and the atrial aperture opening near the dorsoposterior corner of the 

 thorax. 



31. Tridideninutn savignii var. jolense (Van Name) 



Figure 27 

 Didemnopsis jolense Van Name, 1918, p. 147, fig. 97. 



MATERIAL EXAMINED 



Philippine Islands: Balukbuluk Island; W. R. Taylor, sta. 40. One small 

 colony (USNM 11636). 



Palau Islands : Iwayama Bay, Geruherugairu Pass ; GVF sta. 85. One small 

 colony attached to delicate coralline algae (USNM 11450). — NE. of Cape Nga- 

 badangel ("Gabadaguru") ; GVF sta. 125. One small colony (USNM 11438).— 

 SE. end of Koror at eastern entrance to Iwayama Bay ; GVF sta. 136. Three 

 small colonies (USNM 11463). 



Gilbert Islands: Onotoa Atoll; P. E. Cloud, sta. GOC-41. Nine colonies 

 (USNM 11481).— P. E. Cloud sta. GOC-55. Seven colonies (USNM 11491).— 

 Heliopora flat, depth 2 ft., collector A. H. Banner, August 1, 1951. Ten colonies 

 (USNM 11497). 



Atlantic Ocean: Gulf of Mexico, off Englewood, Florida, 27''1.7' N., 

 82°40.1' W. ; Robert Stewart, sta. B-47=D-9, January 3, 1952. One colony 

 (USNM 11770). 



Description. — Examined were 26 colonies from the Gilbert Islands, 

 5 from the Palau Islands and a single specimen from the Philippine 

 Islands. All the colonies are rather small and somewhat globular or 

 roundish in shape, even the largest is only 20 mm. X 15 mm. in extent, 

 and the height or the thickness of colonies is 3.5-4 mm. in smaller 

 specimens, but up to 6-9 mm. in larger ones. They are dark brownish 

 or dark purplish brown, except the single small specimen from the 

 Palau Islands (USNM 11438). This is regarded as being in a de- 

 generating state, as its test is yellowish white, fairly fragile in con- 

 sistency and contains many minute whitish particles within ; if these 

 particles represent degenerated spicules, then the present specimen 

 should be treated under the typical form of Ti^'ididemnum savignii. 



Test gelatinous, faintly milky white, translucent, usually soft or a 

 little harder to the touch and somewhat frothy in consistency. Many 

 dark brownish, purplish-brown or purplish-black piginents deposited 

 between bladder cells (fig. 27&) ; pigment cells very elongate. Many 

 granular cells and small spherical cells scattered in test, but zooclilorel- 

 lae never found in lacunae system or embedded in test. In some speci- 

 mens (for example, specimens from Palau Islands USNM 11463), 

 pigmentation is confined only to the thoracic layer of the zooidal stra- 

 tum. Some colonies contain small amounts of fecal pellets, fine sand 

 grains and minute crystalline needles in the test; amounts varying 

 considerably among specimens. Crystalline needles usually found 

 most densely in surface layer, especially above lacunae system or in 

 whitish spots of various shapes and sizes at several portions of respec- 

 tive colonies. No perfect calcareous spicules found in test. Surface 



