458 Mr. H. J. Carter on Deep-sea 



XLVII. — Descriptions and Figures of Deep-Sea Sponges and 

 their Spicules, from the Atlantic Ocean, dredged up on 

 hoard H.M.S. ''Porcupine^ chiefly in 1869 [concluded). By 

 H. J. Caetee, F.E.S. &c. 



[Concluded from p. 410.] 



Ophiraphidites tortuosus, n. sp. 



Groups of large, tortuous acerates, more or less uniform in 

 size, congregated in deep depressions on the surface of Disco- 

 dermia poly discus and Stelletta pachastrelloides, without definite 

 arrangement, naked, void of sarcodic structure, and vmaccom- 

 panied by any other spicules but a few large trifids from 

 Pachastrella abyssi ; adherent by one end to the surface on 

 which they may be situated, and retained in position chiefly by 

 their intertwining with each other. Form of spicules chiefly 

 acerate, sometimes nearly straight or only slightly curved, 

 bow-like ; sometimes acuate, and occasionally obtusely pointed 

 or round at the ends, also occasionally with one extremity 

 bifid, 200- by 5-1800ths inch long when nearly straight. 

 Hah. Marine, growing in the depressions above mentioned. 

 Loc. Probably near Cape St. A^incent, as the dried specimens 

 on which they are situated appear to be identical with those 

 in the jar numbered " 25, 75,374 fathoms." 



Ohs. As the spicules of these groups are very remarkable 

 from their snake-like shape, together with the circumstances 

 above mentioned, it is necessary to describe them as far as pos- 

 sible, from their occurring in the dredgings of the 'Porcupine.' 

 I cannot state with certainty whether they represent a distinct 

 sponge or are the transformed spicules of another sponge ; 

 but incline to the latter opinion, and to think that they belong 

 to Pachastrella ahyssi: — first, because the only other spicules 

 that I have found among them are the large trifids of this 

 sponge ; secondly, because the arms of this large trifid, as it 

 occurs on the surface, are also occasionally tortuous; and, thirdly, 

 because the arms of these large trifids are frequently bifid at 

 the extremities. On the other hand, the spicules of Op)hira- 

 j^hidites chiefly consist of large acerates which, when without 

 the tortuous curving, are precisely like those oi Stelletta pachas- 

 trelloides (PI. XV. fig. 40, «), where the large acerates in size 

 as far surpass any other of the spicules as the large bifids 

 in Pachastrella ahyssi surpass in size its acerates ; so that, if 

 we adopt the transformation of the latter, it must be from a 

 trifid into a tortuous acerate — if of the former, of a large, 

 normally curved acerate into a tortuous one. Hence the un- 

 certainty in my mind as to which they belong to if they do not 



