PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XIX, April 1965 
124 
Christmas Island. Thirteen species are common 
to the Indo-Malayan and Palau areas, extend- 
ing, in the case of lotrochota baculifera, Clath- 
ria fasciculata, Clathria cervicornis, Neofolitispa 
dianchora, and Asteropus sarasinorum, eastward 
to the Marshall Islands. Eleven species have a 
wide Indo-Pacific distribution: Heter enema 
ere eta, Ircinia ramosa, Phyllospongia foliascens, 
Psammaplysilla purpurea, Dysidea herbacea, 
Coelocarteria singaporense, Myrmekioderma 
granulata, Spirastrella vagabunda, Place spongia 
melobesioides, Ancorina acervus, and Cinachyra 
australiensis. Three species are known elsewhere 
only from Australia, in the case of Jaspis coria- 
cea only from South Australia. 
The sponge fauna of the Palau Islands is 
certainly richer and more varied than that of 
any of the more easterly islands thus far stud- 
ied. It is not possible, however, to compare the 
quantity and variety of Demospongiae in Indo- 
Malayan localities with that of the Palau Is- 
lands without more data on both areas. 
The broad system of classification used in 
this work is basically that propounded by Top- 
sent (1928) and modified by de Laubenfels 
(1936). In several cases minor alterations in 
this system have been suggested. The Axinelli- 
dae are still treated as a family of the Hali- 
chondrida, although it is clear that they should 
be elevated to the level of a separate order. To 
reassign the genera involved is a long task, the 
material for which is not immediately available. 
Throughout the text means are given in pa- 
rentheses with the range of spicule dimensions. 
All color notations are after Munsell’s Book 
of Color. 
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 
The author is greatly indebted to Dr. W. D. 
Hartman for his advice and assistance through- 
out the preparation of this manuscript. 
Mr. R. Binkowski is thanked for technical 
assistance, Mr. J. Howard for photographic 
work, and Mrs. Shirley Hartman for the prep- 
aration of all drawings. 
This research was made possible by the award 
of a Sessel Fellowship in Biology from Yale 
University and by National Science Foundation 
Grant GB-516 to Yale University. 
STATION DATA 
Sta. 10. Madalai district, west end of Koror I., 
Abe’s Traverse III. Sand bottom with Enhalus 
and Halimeda; depth 12 inches at low water. 
July 8, 1955. 
Sta. 12. Madalai district, west end of Koror I., 
Abe’s Traverse II, at south end of Koror- 
Arakabesan Causeway. Mud and sand, with 
Enhalus, Halimeda and Padina; exposed at 
low water. July 9, 1955. 
Sta. 15. Madalai district, west end of Koror I. I 
Shallow flat enclosed by retaining wall par- !' 
allel to Malakal Causeway. Sand and silt, 
with Enhalus; depth 18-24 inches at low j 
water. July 11, 1955. 
Sta. 25. Inner margin of barrier reef, 8 miles 
NW of Koror. Sand, coral, dead coral blocks; 
depth 3-7 ft. July 19, 1955. 
Sta. 35. Peleliu boat channel, between Ngarger- 
sal and Kongauru islands, ca. 1 mile east of 
north tip of Peleliu. Sand, silt, some coral; 
Enhalus ac oroides and 2 other species of eel- 
grass; algae inch Caulerpa spp. Depth 1-10 
ft. July 24, 1955. 
Sta. 47. Iwayama Bay, shore of islands XXXIII 
and XXXIV, west side of Kogai-Hanto. Sand, 
live and dead coral; Enhalus in sand, Padina 
on rocky areas. July 28, 1955. 
Sta. 53. Ngaremdiu area, eastern Urukthapel; 
rocky cape west of sand beach Oiratel-ruul. 
Sand, coral, rock; small eel grass and Halo- 
phila ovalis; depth 0-7 ft. July 31, 1955. 
Sta. 59. Reef bordering eel grass flat east of 
Ebadul’s dock, north shore of Koror. Living 
and dead coral, with sparse patches of sand. 
Aug. 4, 1955. 
Sta. 50. Sand and eel grass flat west of Ebadul’s 
dock, north shore of Koror. Sand with occa- 
sional coral patches, Enhalus abundant, long 
streamers of sargassum attached to dead coral. 
August 5, 1955. 
Sta. 61. Seaward reef flat at south end of Nge- 
melis I., west side of Palau Archipelago. 
Coral and sand, some Enhalus and Halimeda 
in sand patches; depth 18 inches-6 ft. August 
6, 1955. 
Sta. 64. Small bay at southern end of Eil Malk 
lagoon. Bottom limestone and sand, little 
coral; depth 6-20 ft. August 7, 1955. 
