Sponges of Palau, I — -BERGQUIST 
129 ' 
Since the genus Luffariella is retained for L. 
variabilis, a new genus Dactylospongia is erected 
to receive Luff arietta elegans . 
DISTRIBUTION: Celebes (Thiele) 
GENUS Heteronewia Keller 
Heteronema erecta Keller 
Fig- 2 
Heteronema erecta Keller, 1889, p 339. 
Heteronema erecta Row, 1911, p. 369. 
Tborectopsamma mela de Laubenfels, 1954, 
p. 29, fig. 15, pi. 8, fig. 6. 
Tborectopsamma mela de Laubenfels, 1955, 
p. 138. 
OCCURRENCE: Sta. 10, 100, 140. 
DESCRIPTION: De Laubenfels (1954) has 
given an excellent description of this sponge 
as it occurs in the Micronesian area and little 
can be added except to note that: (1) the pri- 
mary fibres have a tendency to be fasciculated 
immediately below the surface; ( 2 ) The dermis 
is crowded with granules containing a black 
pigment; ( 3 ) The immediate subdermal region 
is cavernous, consequently the dermis is easily 
detachable; and (4) The pigment granules in 
the subdermal and deep layers of the body are 
extremely abundant and tend to obscure the 
chambers and canal system. 
DISCUSSION: Comparison of Red Sea speci- 
mens of Heteronema erecta with de Lauben- 
fels’ Pacific sponges identified as Tborecto- 
psamma mela reveals that the two species are 
identical. The extremely characteristic surface 
pattern of radiating ridges between conules is 
present in all specimens examined from both 
geographical areas. The texture of the sponge 
varies greatly: some of the Palau specimens 
are relatively compressible; others are extremely 
hard and thus compare with specimens de- 
scribed by Row (1911). 
With the removal of T. mela to Heteronema, 
the genus Tborectopsamma Burton is reduced 
to three species. T. irregularis, the type species, 
was described from a single specimen; it had 
laminated fibres densely packed with debris and 
no special dermal skeleton. Burton made no 
mention of the soft tissues of his sponge. Re- 
examination of the type of T, irregularis (bm 
30.8.13.217) shows that the flagellate chambers 
are small and spherical, 20-30 /x in diameter; 
the subdermal region is extremely cavernous 
and darkly pigmented. This sponge is not easily 
distinguishable from Heteronema. 
The second species described in Tborecto- 
psamma is T. chromogenia de Laubenfels from 
Bermuda. This sponge is a dark red color and 
has far less debris in the fibres than T. irregu- 
laris. The flagellate chambers were undescribed 
and apparently much sand was incorporated in 
the body of the sponge. It is unlikely that this 
sponge belongs to Tborectopsamma but, in view 
of our incomplete knowledge of its anatomy, 
no suggestion can be made about its real affin- 
ities. Tborectopsamma xana de Laubenfels 
( 1954) is referred to Psammaplysilla purpurea. 
DISTRIBUTION: Red Sea (Keller, Topsent, 
Row); West Central Pacific; Hawaii (de Lau- 
benfels ) . 
GENUS Ircinia Nardo 
lrcinia ramosa (Keller) 
Fig. lb. Dactylospongia elegans (Thiele). Portion 
of the fibre network. 
