208 
THE VOYAGE OF H.M.S. CHALLENGER. 
Spicules. — I. Megasclere. 1. Oxea, curved, sometimes becoming tornote or 
strongylate, 0'684 by 0'015 mm. 
II. Microsclere. 2. Chiaster, centrum small, actines slender, cylindrical, truncate 
or tylote, 0‘018 mm. in diameter. 
Colour. — Golden-yellow. Size, 125 mm. in height by 100 mm. in diameter. 
Hahitat. — Port Western, South Australia. 
Coppatias stellifera (Carter). 
Amorphina stellifera, Carter, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 5, vol. iii. p. 348, pi. xxix. fig. 10, 
1879. 
Stellettinopsis stellifera, Ridley, Spong. “ Alert,” p. 477, 1885. 
Sponge. — Massive, lobate, penetrated by a “seaweed” about which it has grown. 
Pores in sieves (?) ; oscules in pit-like depressions of the surface. 
Spicules. — I. Megasclere. 1. Oxea, fusiform, curved, 0'7l by 0‘017 mm. 
II. Microsclere. 2. Aster, centrum absent, actines slender, minutely spined, eight 
or more in number, 0'017 mm. in diameter. 
Size, 50 mm. by 29 mm. by 19 mm. 
Habitat. — South Australia ; laminarian zone. 
Remarhs. — Carter assigned this species to Amorphina {Halichondria) ; Ridley 
proposed to transfer it to Stellettinopsis {Coppatias) ; but as the oxeas are not 
arranged in fibrous tracts, the remarks made as to the position of the succeeding species 
{Coppatias carteri) are applicable here. Carter states the sponge only differs from 
Halichondria panicea, Johnst., by the presence of the aster, and if this should prove 
true of the characters of the canal system, it would directly ally the sponge with 
Astropeplus, since Halichondria panicea possesses a eur 5 rpylous canal system, scarcely 
more highly developed than that of Astropeplus. In such a case Halichondria itself 
may be regarded as a modified Astropeplus, which has in course of phylogenetic 
development lost its asters. 
Coppatias carteri (Ridley). 
Stellettinopsis carteri, Ridley, Spong. “Alert,” p. 476, 1885. 
Sponge. — Massive, lobate, supported on a short cylindrical stalk. Surface verruciform. 
Oscules not visible. 
Spicules. — I. Megasclere. 1. Oxea, 1*0 by 0*02 mm.; not collected into fibres. 
II. Microsclere. 2. Euaster, centrum small, actines cylindrical, strongylate, five to 
ten in number, minutely spined, 0*05 mm. in diameter. 
Colour. — Grey ish- white. 
