Sponges of Palau, I — Bergquist 
131 
FIG. 3 a. Phyllospongia foliascens (Pallas). Sta. 111. 
specific name. It is difficult to see what charac- 
ters can be used to distinguish between such 
sponges as 1. ramosa, 1. fasciculata, and I. den- 
droides since the entire genus is extremely uni- 
form in internal morphology and, seemingly, 
variable in habit and surface characteristics. 
Studies of the ecology and morphology of liv- 
ing populations are urgently required in this 
genus. 
DISTRIBUTION: Red Sea, West Indies, Palau 
Islands, Ponape, Great Barrier Reef. 
GENUS Phyllospongia Ehlers 
Phyllospongia foliascens (Pallas) 
Fig. 3 a, h 
RESTRICTED SYNONYMY: 
Spongia foliascens Pallas, 1766, p. 395. 
Phyllospongia foliascens Lendenfeld, 1889, p. 
196, pi. v, fig. 3; pi. vi, figs. 1, 3, 4, 10; pi. vii, 
fig. 11; pi. xiv, fig. 2; pi. xxiv, fig. 6. 
Carterio spongia foliascens Burton, 1934, p. 
573. 
Phyllospongia lekanis de Laubenfels, 1954, p. 
15, fig. 7, pi. HI, fig. a. 
occurrence: Sta. Ill, 220A, 245. 
Fig. 3 b. Phyllospongia foliascens (Pallas). Upper , 
Sta. 245; lower, Sta. 2 20 A. 
DESCRIPTION: Three of the five specimens 
are similar in form to P. foliascens as illustrated 
by Lendenfeld (1889:pl. 5, fig. 3), one is 
almost identical to P. lekanis de Laubenfels 
( 1954: pi. Ill, fig. a), and one, of spiral shape, 
answers to de Laubenfels’ description of large 
specimens of P. lekanis which he observed in 
the field. There is a great variation in the sur- 
face ornamentation, and in the distribution and 
abundance of oscules. In all specimens the skele- 
ton is compact, with cored primary tracts and 
thick sand cortex on both surfaces. In this re- 
spect the present specimens contrast with the 
holotype of P. lekanis (USNM 23109), which 
has a loose skeleton mesh, lightly cored fibres, 
and a thin sand cortex on both surfaces. 
Little note has been taken in the systematics 
of Phyllospongia of the amount of debris pres- 
ent in the cortex and the skeleton; this,' in con- 
junction with the range of form exhibited by 
this sponge in the Palaus, is sufficient reason 
for relegating P. lekanis to P. foliascens. 
DISCUSSION: It is with some hesitation that 
these specimens are described as Phyllospongia 
