GEODIA ATAXASTRA 



237 



Large choanosomal oxyasters: with or without centrum; total diameter 

 15-40 fi. Subcortical oxysphaerasters : rays short and stout, centrum very large; 

 total diameter 12 f^i. Irregular sphaerasters (ataxasters) : rays very short; 

 total diameter 3 5 //. Sterrasters : 53-80 by 45-CO ix. 



Northwestern Pacific. Japan. 



Geodia hilgendorfi var. typica, var. nov. 

 Geodia liilgcniorfi Thiele, Zoologica, 189S, 24, p. 8, ])late 1, fig. 4, plate G, fig. 4 a-h. 



Oxyasters: with centrum, 15-20 n in diameter. Without particularly small, 

 irregular s}:)haerasters in the interior. Sterrasters: 80 by GO /<. 



Northwestern Pacific. Japan ; probably from the vicinity of Enoshima. 



Geodia hilgendorfi var. granosa Thiele. 

 Zoologica, 189S, 24, p. 9, plate 6, fig. 4 i, k. 



Oxyasters: without centrum, 40 fi in diameter. Small irregular sphaer- 

 asters only 3 p. in diameter in the interior. Sterrasters: 53 by 45 [i. 



Northwestern Pacific. Japan ; probably from the vicinity of Enoshima. 



Geodia ataxastra Lendenfeld. 

 Ante, p. 79. 



Spherical or irregularly massive, tuberous or lobose. In spirit: white to 

 lilac-gray. 



Large choanosomal rhahds: mostly amphioxes, but also some amphistron- 

 gyles and styles; 0.6-2.8 mm. by 12-43 /(. Minute dermal rhahds: mostly am- 

 phioxes, but also some styles, 120-215 by 3-7 Orthoplagiotriaenes: rhabdome 

 1.3-2.3 mm. by 29-70 ;<; clades 130-290 p. long; clade-angles 85-116°. Meso- 

 proclades: mostly triaene; rhabdome 1.6-3.4 mm. by 7-10 p.; clades 25-80 p 

 long; clade-angles 25-58°; epirhabd 28-73 /< long. Large anatriaenes: rhabd- 

 ome: 2-3.1 mm. by 3-12 p; clades 17-68 p long; clade-angles 20-55°. 

 Minute dermal anaclades: observed only in var. angustana; rhabdome 190- 

 340 by 0.5-2 p; clades 2-6 p long; clade-angles 33-57°. 



Lai^ge oxyasters: from two to eleven rays, 0.6-2.6 p thick; total diameter 

 15-50 /(, in inverse proportion to the ray-number. Oxysphaerasters with slender 

 7Ytys: from eighteen to twenty-eight conical, pointed, distally spined rays 0.7- 

 1.3 p thick ; centrum 2.4-5.5 p, whole aster 8-14.4 p, in diameter. Oxysphaerasters 

 with smooth, thick rays: observed only in var. latana; about eighteen conical, 

 blunt, smooth rays, 2 p thick; centrum about 4.5 p, whole aster about 13 p, in 



