230 GEODIA EOSASTER. 



Geodia nux (Selenka). 



SleUella nuj Selenka, Zcitschr. wiss. zool., 1867, 17, p. 569, plate 35, figs. 11-13. 

 Cydonium tii/tSollas, Repf. voy. "Challenger," 1888, 25, p. 260. 



Spherii'al with wart-sluipcd protuberances. In spirit : brown on the surface, 

 yellowish in the interior. 



Amphisb-ongyles: 1.83 mm. by 38.7 /(. Dichotriaenes: (Sollas, 1888). 

 Plagiolriaenes (Selenka, 1867) clades short. 



Large oxysphaerasiers: rays numerous, conical smooth; ccntnim 51.6 /«, 

 whole aster 96 fi in diameter. Stnnll tylosphaeraster (Sollas, 1888) : total diameter 

 16 fi. Sterrasters (Sollas, 1888) : 90 by 77.4 /i. 



Tills is a very doubtful species. Ridley ' was inclined to consider it as a 

 monaxonid (Tethya, that is, Donatia), while I did not include it in my synopsis 

 of the Tetraxonia (Tierreich, 1903, 19). Of course, if all the spicules found by 

 Sollas in the spicule-preparation examined by him, really belong to it, it is a 

 geodine tetraxonid, but as one frequently finds foreign spicules in such prepa- 

 rations, and as Selenka himself does not mention sterrasters, the status of this 

 sponge must remain doul)tful. I therefore place Geodia i^ux here with all 

 reserve. 



Western Pacific. Samoa Islands. 



Geodia eosaster (Sollas). 



Lendenfeld, Tierreich, 1903, 19. p. 110. 



Cydonium eosaster Sollas, Rcpt. voy. "Challenger," 1888, 25, p. 225, plate 20. fig. 22, plate 21, figs. 15-29. 



Non Geodia eosaster Topsent, 1904. 



Spherical. In spirit : yellowish white. 



Large choanosomal amphioxes: 2.856 mm. by 32 p.. Minute dermal am- 

 phioxes: 250-300 by 3.5 /i. Dichotriaenes: rhabdome 3.57 mm. by 47 /i; main 

 clades 110 p, end clades 210 p long. Protriaenes (? mesoprotriaenes) : rhabdome 

 5 mm. by 19 p at the cladome, and 26 p at the thickest point near the middle; 

 clades 190 p long; cladome 190 p broad. Anatriaenes: rhabdome 8.21 mm. 

 by29/i; clades 95 /^ long; cladome 190 /z broad and 48 /t high. 



Large oxy asters: four to numerous rays; total diameter 27.6-39 /z. Large 

 oxysphaerasters: rays exceedingly short and broad, appearing as low conical 

 protuberances of the very large centrum; total diameter 19.8-31 p. Small 

 strongylosphaerasters: rays conical or cylindrical, truncate; total diameter 10 /(. 

 Sterrasters: spheroidal; 64-70 p in diameter. 



' S. O. Ridley. Spongiida. Kept. voy. "Alert," 1884, p. 472, foot-note. 



