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PACIFIC SCIENCE, VoL XIX, April 1965 
tinctive habit, Fasciospongia chondrodes, Dysi- 
dea herbacea, and Phyllospongia dendyi. 
COLOR: In alcohol, varies from pale pinkish- 
purple (RY-R 6/2), to yellowish-gray (rY 7/4), 
to pale creamy (rY 8/4), in the holotype. 
TEXTURE: Stiff and rather cartilaginous. 
SURFACE: In the holotype, almost smooth; 
in the other two specimens it is irregularly 
conulose in such a way as to give an over-all 
spined appearance and to render the edges of 
all lamellae crenulate. Some parts of the sponge 
are almost smooth where the dermal membrane 
is stretched between adjacent ridges. Conules 
are simple or multiple; sometimes the primary 
fibres are produced beybiid the surface. A sys- 
tem of tangential dermal fibres is developed, 
being plainly visible in the Palau material and 
just discernible in the holotype. The dermal 
membrane is granular and skinlike and is not 
easily separable from the underlying cartilagi- 
nous cortex, the two layers together being 200- 
250/x thick. 
SKELETON: Composed of a compact reticu- 
lation of secondary fibres from which the pri- 
mary fasciculated columns rise abruptly and 
extend through the collagenous cortex into the 
conules. All fibres are finely laminated and a 
pith is present, distributed sporadically in both 
primary and secondary fibres. Only the primary 
columns are cored by spicule fragments. There 
is no sand cortex. 
The primary fibres range from 70-1 80/x in 
diameter; the secondaries, from 25-160/;. 
De Laubenfels stated that there were no cored 
fibres in the type of Spongionella chondrodes, 
but this is an error. All primary fibres are fascic- 
ular, pithed, and cored with spicule fragments. 
CORTEX: A dense layer, 180-800/x deep, 
usually 250 /x, rich in spongin A. It contains 
abundant dendritic cells with granular cyto- 
plasm which are possibly pigment-containing 
cells. A specimen of Fasciospongia cavernosa 
(Schmidt) from Marseilles has been examined 
Fig. 5 a. Fasciospongia chondrodes (de Laubenfels). Sta. 92. Section at right angles to the surface show- 
ing the fasciculate fibre system, the coring spicules in the ascending fibres, and ( lower left) traces of pith and 
concentric lamination in the fibres. 
