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NEW SPONGES FROM THE PUERTO RICAN DEEP 



By M. W. deLAUBENFELS 

 Pasadena, California 



In the comprehensive and extensive collection of sponges made by 

 the First Johnson-Smithsonian Deep-Sea Expedition, there are an 

 exceptionally large number of new species — in fact, nearly one-fourth 

 of the total number. Many of these may actually have been collected 

 and described before, but unrecognizably, because in the descrip- 

 tions made more than 50 years ago very little attention was paid to 

 those microscopic characters that today are considered of primary 

 importance. 



In the entire collection, upon which a final report is in progress, 

 there are only a few species belonging to the Calcarea (or Calci- 

 spongiae), and somewhat more of the Hexactinellida (or Hyalo- 

 spongiae), but apparently no new species of either of these two orders. 

 All the new species are representatives of the Demospongiae. Twenty- 

 seven new species are described. These belong to 17 families, of which 

 4 are new, and 26 genera, of which 11 are new. 



HALINIDAE, n. fam. 



This family is established to replace Pachastrellidae Hentschel, be- 

 cause Halina Bowerbank (1858, p. 288) (not the nomen nudem 

 Halina of Grant, 1830, p. 844), which receives Dercitus Gray (1867, 

 p. 542) in synonymy, not only is an older genus than Pachastrella 

 Schmidt (1868, p. 15) but is also more thoroughly typical of the 

 group here represented. 



PACHASTRELLA Schmidt 

 PACHASTRELLA DILIFERA, n. sp. 



Holotype. — U.S.N.M. no. 22331 ; from station 43, latitude 

 i8°02'oo" N., longitude 67° 5 1 '1 5" W. to latitude i8°03'45" N., longi- 

 tude 67°48'io" W., February 11, 1933, 240 to 300 fathoms. 



The specimen is lamellate, triangular, about 7 mm thick, 10 by 15 cm 

 in extent. The color, preserved dry, is very pale ; the consistency is 



Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, Vol. 91, No. 17 



