Report on a Collection of Freshwater 

 Sponges from Japan. 



BY 



N. Annandale, D. Sc., 



Indian Museum, Calcutta. 



(With Plate II). 



Thanks to the kindness of Prof. I. Ijima and Prof. A. Oka I have 

 recently had the opportunity of examining a collection of Japanese 

 freshwater sponges which these gentlemen have generously presented 

 to the Indian Museum. Little is known of the Spongillinae of Japan, 

 and I have great pleasure in responding to Prof. Ijima's request for 

 a report on the collection. 



Three species 1 have hitherto been recorded from Japan, viz. 

 Ephydatia fluviatilis, E. japonica (as E. jhiviatilis var. japonica) and 

 E. millleri. In the collection under review two of these (E. japonica 

 and E. miillcri) are represented, and also one other known species and 

 one which I take to be new to science. The known species is the 

 widely distributed Spongilla fragilis. Three of the five species now 

 known to occur in Japan, have therefore an extensive geographical 

 range, while two have not as yet been found elsewhere. Of the 

 jormer, 5. fragilis and E. fluviatilis have been recorded from tropical 

 Asia, Australia and Siberia as well as from Europe and N. America, 

 while E. millleri is widely distributed in the Holartic Region and is 

 represented in India by a closely allied form, namely Ephydatia meyeni. 



Although other species of Spongillinae doubtless still remain to 

 be discovered in Japan, the apparent prevalence of the genus 

 Ephydatia is noteworthy, for this genus is represented by no less 



I) Weltner, " SpongillieiistuJien III", in Archie f. Nalurgesclu, 1895, Bd. I. 



