Sponges of Palau, I — BERGQUIST 
161 
Phloeodictyon on the basis of the presence of 
sigmas in the former. The effect of Lundbeck’s 
revision was to disperse the genera of Carter’s 
Phloeodictyina through three separate divisions 
of the Haplosclerida by placing great emphasis 
on spiculation and amount of spongin present. 
Spiculation is obviously not an adequate cri- 
terion for the wide separation of these genera. 
Topsent (1920), in his redescription of 
Schmidt’s specimens of Rhizochalina oleracea 
and R. carotta, emphasizes the presence of sig- 
mas in R. carotta and their absence from R. ole- 
racea. These sponges are from the same locality, 
they are similar in form and construction and 
differ only in the presence or absence of sig- 
mas. Lundbeck was prepared to leave these two 
species in Rhizochalina and at the same time 
to refer Oceanapia to the Gelliinae because it 
possessed sigmas. 
Dendy (1921) recognizes all three genera 
and retains the group Phloeodictyinae as a sub- 
family, widely separate from the more typical 
Coelosphaerid genera (e.g., Amp bias trella, Co- 
elosphaera ) which he previously (1905) in- 
cluded with the Phloeodictyinae. 
Burton (1934) considers Rhizochalina and 
Phloeodictyon to be synonyms of 0 ceanapia. He 
does not consider differences in microsclere con- 
tent, amount of spongin and anatomy of fistules 
to be sufficiently significant to warrant main- 
taining the three genera. Burton concurs with 
Dendy in placing Oceanapia in the family Hap- 
loscleridae but does not recognize the Coelo- 
sphaerae as a separate section of the Ectyoninae. 
For example, he treats Coelosphaera as a myxil- 
lid and Coelocarteria as a clathriid. 
De Laubenfels (1936) has confused the 
Coelosphaerae and the Phloeodictyinae. He 
grouped them in one family, Coelosphaeridae, 
which he placed close to the Adociidae. The 
only possible justification for this view is that 
the spherical form and production of fistules 
is common to all genera involved. Phloeodictyon 
was considered by de Laubenfels to be a syno- 
nym of Rhizochalina, but Oceanapia was main- 
tained because it possessed sigmas. 
Of the four different treatments of these 
sponges outlined above, that proposed by Dendy 
is clearly the most logical and takes greatest 
note of the details of morphology of the speci- 
mens concerned. In keeping with this view 
Siphonodictyon is placed in the Adociidae. 
Burton (1934) has queried the value of the 
section Coelosphaerae as used by Dendy. It is 
probable that Burton is correct and that the 
genera of this group should be widely dispersed 
throughout the Poecilosclerida. This step is not 
taken here since many genera in no way con- 
nected with the region under consideration are 
involved. 
FAMILY COELOSPHAERIDAE Hentschel 
GENUS Coelocarteria Burton 
Coelocarteria Burton, 1934, p. 563. 
Ichnodonax de Laubenfels, 1954, p. 111. 
Coelocarteria singaporense (Carter) 
Phloeodictyon singaporense Carter, 1883, p. 
326, pi. XIII, fig. 7. 
Rhizochalina singaporensis var. Ridley, 1884, 
p. 421, pi. XII, fig. S. 
? Rhizochalina singaporensis Ridley and 
Dendy, 1887, p. 34. 
Rhizochalina singaporensis Lindgren, 1897, 
p. 481. 
Rhizochalina singaporensis Lindgren, 1898, 
p. 297, pi. XIX, fig. 11. 
Histoderma singaporensis Thiele, 1903, p. 
955. 
Coelosphaerella vesiculatum de Laubenfels, 
1934, p. 21. 
Coelocarteria singaporense Burton, 1934, p. 
563. 
Ichnodonax kapne de Laubenfels, 1954, p. 
112 . 
Ichnodonax singaporensis Levi, 1961, p. 518. 
OCCURRENCE: Sta. 10, 15,92. 
DISCUSSION: The three specimens from the 
Palau Islands are identical, except in dimen- 
sions, with de Laubenfels’ specimens of Ich- 
nodonax kapne from the same locality. (The 
thinner, inhalant fistules are up to 6.5 cm long.) 
Dendy (1905), in his description of Histo- 
derma vesiculatum, mentioned that palmate 
isohelae were present in the type of Phloeodic- 
tyon singaporense Carter. If this fact is consid- 
ered, then the only difference between P. singa- 
porense and Ichnodonax kapne de Laubenfels 
is that the oxeas are thinner in the latter. 
Other specimens from the Palaus have slightly 
