The Productivity of Fish Food in Oneida Lake 239 



A NEW SPECIES OF SPONGILLA FROM ONEIDA 

 LAKE, NEW YORK* 



By Professor Frank Smith 



University of Illinois, Urbana, Illinois 



A small collection of sponges from Oneida Lake, N. Y., 

 was made in the summer of 191 7 in connection with certain 

 investigations of the Department of Forest Zoology of The 

 New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse University 

 and was submitted to the writer for identification. It was 

 found to contain various colonies of Spongilla fragilis Leidy, 

 very young colonies of Spongilla lacustris, Auct., one colony 

 of Carterius tubisperma Mills, and specimens of a new species 

 of Spongilla which is described in this paper. The writer takes 

 this opportunity to express his appreciation of the kindness 

 of Mr. Frank C. Baker to whom he is indebted for the privilege 

 of studying the material. 



Spongilla heterosclerifera nov. sp., Plate B. 



Sponge forming a thin layer, without branches, rather loose 

 in structure and friable; color green or pale, depending on 

 the exposure to light. Colonies of a diameter of 2 cm. or more 

 have abundant gemmules. 



Skeleton of well defined radiating fibres, which in cross 

 section usually include 4-6 spicules; irregular and poorly 

 defined transverse fibres; comparatively little spongin present. 



Spicules. Skeleton spicules are more commonly fairly stout, 

 slightly curved, sharp pointed, and rather closely crowded 

 with small spines except on the smooth terminal parts which 

 are of variable extent, but each of which is usually less than 

 one-sixth of the entire length of the spicule. There are no 

 true flesh or dermal spicules. Gemmule spicules of various 

 types ranging between stout, cylindrical, strongly spined 

 amphistrongyli ; long, slender amphistrongyli ; and slender, 



♦Contribution from the Zoological Laboratory, University of Illinois. 

 No. 102. 



