Sponges of Palau, I— BERGQUIST 
135 
and also has a dense collagenous cortex. The 
same feature is characteristic of the type spe- 
cies, Fasciospongia fovea (Lendenfeld), from 
Australia. 
ENDOSOME: Cavernous and contains a dense, 
irregular network of fibres. Flagellate chambers 
tend to be localized, groups of chambers being 
separated by areas of collagenous tissue. Con- 
siderable variation in size and shape character- 
izes the chambers. They are somewhat oval in 
two specimens, 19.8 X 1 6.5 /a to 30 X 22/x and 
37 X 23 /a to 50X 44/a spherical, 26-49/*, in 
the other. 
Vacelet (1959) commented upon the cham- 
ber size of Spongionella chondrodes , recorded as 
25- 50 a by de Laubenfels, and concluded that 
this sponge did not belong in Spongionella . It 
is noteworthy that the type specimen of S. 
chondrodes has much larger chambers than de 
Laubenfels states and that they tend to be oval, 
but not eurypylous. It is impossible, however, 
to be sure that the above dimensions are accu- 
rate, for the chambers in almost all cases are 
not lying in situ. The collagenous ground sub- 
stance in which they lie has contracted, leaving 
the groups of flagellate cells lying in spaces in 
the matrix. The two Palau specimens are in 
good condition and perhaps reflect more relia- 
bly the structure of this species. 
DISCUSSION: A restudy of the holotype 
(USNM 23112) and the paratype (Bishop Mu- 
seum 153) of S. chondrodes in conjunction with 
the two specimens included in this collection 
leaves little doubt that this sponge is a Fascio- 
spongia. More information on the nature of the 
flagellate chambers in other species of Fascio- 
spongia would be desirable, but unfortunately 
the type of F. fovea (Lendenfeld) cannot be 
located at present. It seems that variation in 
size and shape of the chambers In F. chon- 
drodes is greater than is usual in the Spongiidae. 
In my specimen of F. cavernosa the chambers 
are often slightly oval, measuring 37 X 30/x. 
DISTRIBUTION: Palau Islands. 
genus Psammaplysilla Keller 
Psammaplysilla purpurea ( Carter ) 
Fig. 6a, b, c, d 
Fig. 5b. Fasciospongia chondrodes (de Laubenfels). 
Holotype, USNM 23112. Section showing fibre reticu- 
lum and an embryo. 
Aplysina purpurea Carter, 1880, p. 36. 
Aplysina purpurea Carter, 1881, p. 103, pi. 
IX, fig. 1, a-i, fig. 2, a-c. 
Aplysina purpurea Dendy, 1889, p. 97. 
Psammaplysilla arabica Keller, 1889, p. 358, 
pi. XXII, figs. 23-27. 
Psammopemma fuliginosum Lendenfeld, 
1889, pars. p. 636. 
Druinella ramosa Thiele, 1899, p. 24, pi. 3, 
fig. 3, pi. 4, fig. 5. 
Aplysina purpurea Dendy, 1905, p. 224. 
Aplysina purpurea Row, 1911, p- 377. 
Aplysina purpurea Hentschel, 1912, p. 437. 
Psammaplysilla kelleri Wilson, 1925, p. 488, 
pi. 44, fig. 3. 
Druinella purpurea Burton, 1934, p. 594. 
non Druinella ramosa Burton, 1934, p. 595. 
Aplysina purpurea Brpndsted, 1934, p. 26. 
Cacospongia ramosa pars, de Laubenfels, 1948, 
p. 95. 
Hexadella pleochromata de Laubenfels, 1950, 
p. 10. 
T h orectopsamma xana de Laubenfels, 1954, 
p. 32, fig. 16. 
Dendrilla verongiformis de Laubenfels, 1954, 
p. 45, fig. 25. 
Druinella tyroeis de Laubenfels, 1954, p. 27, 
fig. 14. 
non Druinella ramosa Burton, 1959, p. 269. 
non Psammaplysilla arabica Burton, 1959, p. 
271. 
