﻿SPONGIIDA. 
  443 
  

  

  diameter 
  about 
  -07 
  millim. 
  ; 
  one 
  or 
  two 
  axial 
  series 
  of 
  spicules 
  ; 
  

   both 
  sets 
  of 
  fibres 
  echinated 
  sparsely 
  with 
  the 
  echinating 
  spicule. 
  

   Dermal 
  skeleton 
  formed 
  by 
  undulating, 
  very 
  pale 
  yellow 
  horny 
  

   fibres 
  containing 
  two 
  or 
  three 
  series 
  of 
  spicules, 
  about 
  '053 
  millim. 
  

   broad, 
  and 
  of 
  loose 
  tracts 
  of 
  spicules. 
  Sarcode 
  pale 
  amber-yellow, 
  

   transparent. 
  

  

  Spicules: 
  — 
  (1) 
  Skeleton 
  cylindrical, 
  smooth, 
  straight, 
  tapering 
  

   slightly 
  from 
  middle 
  towards 
  well-rounded 
  ends 
  ; 
  size 
  about 
  -2 
  by 
  

   •0042 
  millim. 
  (2) 
  Echinating 
  acerate, 
  smooth, 
  straight, 
  tapering 
  

   decidedly 
  from 
  middle 
  towards 
  the 
  base, 
  which 
  is 
  thus 
  thinner 
  than 
  

   the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  shaft, 
  but 
  is 
  well 
  rounded, 
  and 
  tapering 
  from 
  

   middle 
  to 
  sharp 
  point 
  at 
  apex 
  ; 
  size 
  about 
  'IS 
  by 
  -0095. 
  (3) 
  Tri- 
  

   curvate 
  acerate, 
  smooth, 
  curves 
  slight, 
  ends 
  finely 
  pointed 
  ; 
  size 
  

   about 
  -042 
  by 
  "0021 
  ; 
  in 
  sarcode. 
  

  

  Hab. 
  Port 
  Molle, 
  Queensland, 
  12 
  fms. 
  ; 
  bottom 
  rock 
  and 
  coral. 
  

  

  In 
  general 
  appearance 
  this 
  sponge 
  resembles 
  Clathria 
  frondifera, 
  

   but 
  has 
  the 
  intervals 
  between 
  the 
  trabecula) 
  of 
  the 
  clathrous 
  struc- 
  

   ture 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  filled 
  with 
  membranous 
  expansions. 
  The 
  spicula- 
  

   tion 
  is 
  not 
  quite 
  so 
  simple 
  as 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  British 
  species, 
  but 
  has, 
  in 
  

   addition 
  to 
  their 
  echinating 
  acerate 
  and 
  tricurvate, 
  a 
  cylindrical 
  

   skeleton 
  form. 
  I 
  know 
  of 
  no 
  other 
  near 
  allies. 
  A 
  small 
  but 
  well- 
  

   preserved 
  dry 
  specimen 
  represents 
  this 
  species. 
  

  

  74. 
  Clathria 
  aculeata. 
  

  

  (Plate 
  XL. 
  fig. 
  I 
  ; 
  Plate 
  XLII. 
  fig. 
  k.) 
  

  

  Erect, 
  with 
  single, 
  slender 
  stem, 
  dividing 
  into 
  branches 
  at 
  some 
  

   distance 
  from 
  base 
  ; 
  branches 
  given 
  off 
  in 
  various 
  planes 
  and 
  at 
  

   acute 
  angles, 
  occasionally 
  connected 
  by 
  bars 
  of 
  sponge-substance 
  ; 
  

   secondary 
  branches 
  occur, 
  formed 
  in 
  the 
  same 
  manner 
  as 
  the 
  pri- 
  

   mary 
  branches. 
  Stem 
  cylindrical, 
  4-5 
  millim. 
  in 
  diameter 
  in 
  pre- 
  

   sent 
  specimens 
  ; 
  surface 
  even, 
  with 
  the 
  exception 
  of 
  a 
  few 
  prominent 
  

   but 
  blunt 
  aculcations 
  shortly 
  below 
  the 
  commencement 
  of 
  the 
  

   branches 
  ; 
  branches 
  well 
  covered 
  by 
  long, 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  pointed 
  

   aculeations, 
  2 
  to 
  5 
  millim. 
  high. 
  Texture 
  of 
  stem, 
  both 
  in 
  spirit 
  

   and 
  in 
  the 
  dry 
  state, 
  woody, 
  incompressible 
  ; 
  that 
  of 
  the 
  branches 
  

   elastic, 
  but 
  more 
  or 
  less 
  incompressible 
  until 
  near 
  the 
  apices, 
  which 
  

   are 
  firm 
  but 
  compressible. 
  Colour, 
  in 
  spirit, 
  dark 
  amber-brown 
  ; 
  in 
  

   dry 
  state 
  pale 
  brown, 
  the 
  branches 
  having 
  a 
  whitish 
  incrusted 
  

   ap])earance. 
  Surface 
  of 
  branches, 
  in 
  spirit, 
  minutely 
  uneven, 
  that 
  

   of 
  stem 
  glabrous. 
  

  

  Main 
  skeleton 
  composed 
  of 
  very 
  strong 
  amber-yellow 
  horny 
  fibre, 
  

   tortuous 
  and 
  anastomosing, 
  not 
  showing 
  distinct 
  separation 
  into 
  

   primary 
  and 
  secondary 
  fibres, 
  but 
  forming 
  oval 
  meshes 
  ; 
  diameter 
  of 
  

   fibre 
  at 
  base 
  of 
  branches 
  varying 
  from 
  "Oo 
  to 
  -2 
  millim., 
  the 
  short 
  

   diameter 
  of 
  the 
  meshes 
  formed 
  by 
  it 
  at 
  the 
  same 
  spot 
  from 
  -18 
  to 
  

   •8 
  millim. 
  : 
  fibre 
  cored 
  by 
  a 
  tract 
  of 
  slender 
  spinulate 
  spicules, 
  3 
  

   or 
  4 
  spicules 
  broad, 
  and 
  echinated 
  everywhere 
  abundantly 
  by 
  the 
  

   spined 
  acerate 
  spicule. 
  Dermal 
  skeleton 
  similar 
  to 
  main 
  skeleton, 
  

  

  