Sponges of Kaneohe Bay — DE LaubenfeLS 
other forms. In color it is like the East Indian 
species, unlike typical Tedania ignis ; but in 
spiculation it is indistinguishable from ignis. 
Tedania ignis gives a pronounced irrita- 
tion to most people who touch it ( those with 
very calloused hands are safe). This irrita- 
tion includes a reddening of the skin, swell- 
ing, extreme tenderness to the touch, and lasts 
3 to 7 days. I obtained such an irritation from 
the Hawaiian T edania, and this has influenced 
me in making my provisional identification. 
The correct name of the East Indian species 
is doubtful too~--an additional reason for 
hesitating to synonymize on the basis of a 
dubious resemblance. The oldest name that 
may possibly be available is Spongia macro- 
dactyla Lamarck (1814: 458), but its use is 
beset with difficulties. Its locality is not cer- 
tainly known; Lamarck himself was hot sure, 
but thought it might be East Indian. Topsent 
(1933: 13) redescribes Lamarck’s material, 
showing a spiculation like Tedania , but he 
adds that the skeleton is mostly keratose, and 
his photograph shows a general appearance 
that might well be that of a keratose sponge. 
Such forms often contain foreign spicules. If 
this one had no spiculiferous neighbors except 
Tedania , it might contain only Tedania spic- 
ules. If the spicules are proper, this is a 
peculiar Tedania because of its large spongin 
content. 
Thiele in 1903 described four species of 
Tedania from the East Indies (Ternate, in 
the Molucca Sea). These are reticulata (p. 
946) , coralliophila (p. 9A6) , meandrica (p 
947) , and brevispiculata (p. 947). The dif- 
ferences in spicule size which Thiele empha- 
sizes are within the range of individual varia- 
tion and we may be confident that these, all 
from the one locality, are conspecific, to be 
known as Tedania reticulata . I wish to record 
at this time, that further studies in the East 
Indian region may bring about a decision to 
include the Hawaiian Tedania with reticulata, 
rather- than with ignis. Undoubtedly some 
authors would designate the Hawaiian form 
23 
as a new species and perhaps this may ulti- 
mately prove to be necessary. 
Kaneohe a new genus 
This genus is erected in the family Psam- 
mascidae with the following species, Kaneo- 
bea poni, as genotype. It should be empha- 
sized that this is a genus (like all in the 
family) with a principal skeleton of foreign 
material, to which are added strongyles, ox- 
eas, styles, and raphides. The genus which is 
most similar is Holopsamma, which has 
strongyles and styles but not the oxeas and 
raphides. Oxeas and raphides are each quite 
unusual in this family. 
The generic name is given in honor of 
Kaneohe Bay. 
Kaneohea poni new species 
Fig. 14 
The holotype of this species is designated 
as spirit-preserved specimen, U. S. National 
Museum, Register Number 2275 1. It was 
collected January 10, 1948, at a depth of 
1 meter, growing on dead coral in Kaneohe 
Bay. Only the one small specimen has so far 
been found, but it might be sought in the 
future with some interest. 
This specimen is a thin encrustation, about 
the size and thickness of a shilling or quarter- 
dollar. The color in life was a brilliant, 
gaudy purple, one of the most conspicuous 
color notes one may hope to find. The con- 
sistency is mediocre. The surface is smooth, 
and, as might be expected, the specimen is 
lipostomous. 
There is just the thinnest of fleshy ecto- 
somes, less than 10 g thick, which is very 
easily destroyed by handling. The endosome 
is packed with sand grains that are about 30 
to 60 fji in diameter — so small that they 
would easily be swept about and carried m 
water currents. In among these grains there 
is an isodictyal proper skeleton, with some 
uniserial spicule tracts. 
