Sponges from Yap — DE LAUBENFELS 
125 
occurrence of centrotylote spicules, but it is not 
clear if these should be regarded as diagnostic; 
probably they are merely the sort of malforma- 
tion that is known to be likely. 
Subsequently many sponge species have been 
referred to Spongo sorites because of their con- 
tent of larger and smaller oxeas without definite 
intermediates, but these species have been 
radiate in architecture, with huge megascleres, 
thus clearly epipolasid in nature. In various 
places in my publications I have transferred all 
of them to other genera, except, of course, the 
genotype and one other species that Hallmann 
had already transferred. Thus it appears that 
this sponge from Yap is the second specimen 
of a Spongo sorites that is available for con- 
sideration. The genus Topsentia has a spicula- 
tion of oxeas for megascleres, with microxeas 
for microscleres, but it has a definitely separable, 
tangent dermis, over subdermal cavities, and 
apparently sponges of this sort have never been 
confused with Spongo sorites. 
Special mention may be made of Spongo sor- 
ites suluensis Wilson (1925: 331) from the 
Philippines, because of the proximity to Yap. 
This was made the type of the genus Epipolasis 
by de Laubenfels (1936: 162). It is a clearly 
epipolasid sponge, with huge oxeas 32 by 1,350 
microns, and the microscleres are ultra-thin 
trichodragmas rather than toxa-like microxeas. 
It thus belongs in at least a different family, 
even a different order, from the proper type of 
Spongosorites, although it appears to answer the 
words of the diagnosis of the genus Spongosor- 
ites. 
The pigment distribution in S. porites is un- 
usual. The other characteristics, both of this 
species and of its genus, are all separately com- 
monplace, yet the evidence shows that the par- 
ticular combination of these traits is extremely 
rare. 
Chondrilla euastra, new species 
The holotype of this species is catalogue num- 
ber 22731 of the United States National 
Museum. 
This was collected in July, 1946, by R. W. 
Hiatt, on a dromiid crab of the genus Crypto- 
dromiopsis, found under coral blocks on sand 
flats on the northeast shore of the island of Map. 
Shape: A smoothly rounded mass. 
Size: 7 by 10 by 14 mm. 
Color: Black exterior, dark gray interior. 
Consistency: Cartilaginous, a stiff jelly. 
Surface: Smooth to the naked eye. Even under 
the microscope the irregularities appear minute. 
Oscules: Now 200 g in diameter, probably 
somewhat larger in life, 3 to 5 mm. apart. 
Pores: Microscopic, contractile, closed. 
Ectosome anatomy: There is a dense organic 
surface layer w T hich contains ameboid cells but 
seems to be largely gelatinous material. The 
cells with darkly pigmented granules are chiefly 
within 100 /x of the surface but a few are scat- 
tered in the deeper tissues. 
Endosome anatomy: Dense, but with the 
usual architecture of canals and chambers with- 
in the basal jelly. Many canals are about 150 — 
200 g in diameter. The flagellate chambers are 
round, 25 g in diameter. 
Skeleton: In addition to the ubiquitous jelly, 
there are scattered euasters, 18 g in diameter. 
These consistently have no centrum, or so little 
that its presence is dubious. 
Discussion: The genus Chondrilla was estab- 
lished by Schmidt (1862: 39) for the species 
nucula and emholophora. The second species 
was properly placed in synonymy to the first 
by Burton (1924: 206); thus nucula stands as 
genotype. This species is consistently gray in 
color and has a spiculation of only spherasters; 
these microscleres have a very large, con- 
spicuous centrum. It is abundant throughout the 
West Indian region and the Mediterranean. 
In and about Australia, there is another 
species of Chondrilla, characterized by a spicu- 
lation of spherasters in the ectosome and euas- 
ters in the endosome. This was first named 
australiensis by Carter (1873: 23). Since then, 
nine other names have been set up as supposed 
new species from the same region and with 
the same description. Burton (1924: 206 and 
