GEODIA GLOBOSTELLA. 



231 



Topsent ^ has identified a number of sponges from the Azores as Geodia 

 eosaster (Sollas). Since, however, the rays of the large strongylospliaerasters 

 with very large centrum are in these sponges short, thick, cylindrical, and spined 

 on their terminal face, and since they possess, besides the chchotriaenes, also 

 orthotriaenes, I hardly think that Topsent's identification is correct. 



Southwestern Pacific. East coast of Australia ; Port Jackson. 



Geodia globostella, nom. nov. 



Geodia globostellifern Ridley, Rept. voy. "Alert.," 1884, p. 480, plate 43, fig. b. 

 Non Geodia globostcllifera Carter, 1880. 



In spirit : gray with a crimson tinge in places. 



Large choanosomal amphioxes: 3 mm. by 38 /«. Minute dermal amphioxes: 

 160 by 5 fi. Orthotriaenes: rhabdome 70 /t thick; cladome 580 /( broad. Pro- 

 triaenes: rhabdome 16 thick; clades 1 mm. long. 



Large ehoanosomal oxyasters: rays few in number, often curved; total 

 diameter 38 /i. Large oxysphaerasters: rays conical, very short and stout; cen- 

 trum very large; total diameter 28 /«. Small strongylasters: rays numerous; 

 total diameter 6.3 /jl. Sterrasters: 90 /x long. 



In 1880, H. J. Carter described ^ a sponge as Geodia glohostellifera (globo- 

 stellata ^) from the Gulf of Manaar. In 1884, S. 0. Ridley ^ had occasion to study 

 a sponge from Port Darwin, which, although distinguished from G. globostellifera 

 Carter, 1880, by the presence of minute dermal amphioxes, by the much greater 

 thickness of the orthotriaene-rhabdomes, the much greater length of the pro- 

 triaene-clades and the larger size of the si)icules generally, particularly the small 

 strongylasters, he assigned to this species of Carter. Sollas ^ and myself ^ 

 doubted the correctness of this identification, and in consideration of the differ- 

 ences between the specimens of Carter and of Ridley, I think it advisable to 

 distinguish them specifically. 



Southwestern Pacific. North Australia ; Port Darwin. 



' E. Topsent. Spongiairs ties Azores. Result Monaco, 1!)()4, 25, p. 67, plate 4, fig. 7; plate 9, fig. 5. 



//. ./. Carter. Report on specimens * * * from the Gulf of Manaar. Ann. mag. nat. hist., 18S0, 

 scr. 5, 6, p. 131 (Sep., p. 488), plate 6, fig. 38a-h (err. f). 



H. ./. Carter, hoc. cit., p. 154 (Sep., p. 508). 

 ' S. 0. Ridley. Hpongiida. Rept. voy. " Alert," 1884, p. 480, plate 43, fig. b. 

 5 ir. J. Sollas. Tetractinellida. Rept. voy. "Challenger," 1888, 25, p. 261. 

 * R. V. Lerulenfeld. Tetraxonia. Tierreich, 1903, 19, p. 111. . 



