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PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol XIX, April 1965 
Microscleres . Unguiferate anchorate isochelae 
of two sizes: (a) large, strongly-curved chelae 
with thick shaft, slightly expanded at each end, 
the expansions bordered by four sharp triangu- 
lar teeth; 27-34 X 3.6-42/* (29.5 X 4.0/*), 
and (b) small, fine, almost C-shaped chelae 
with three sharp teeth at each end; the two 
lateral teeth are often directed almost at right 
angles to the shaft, while the central tooth con- 
tinues the axis of the shaft; 6.5-20 X 1-0/* ap- 
proximately. 
REPRODUCTIVE STAGES: Eggs and embryos 
are present in one specimen and in the holo- 
type. The embryos contain numerous very fine 
megascleres but apparently no microscleres. 
They are ovoid, approximately 375 X 500/*; 
cellular detail is not discernible. 
DISCUSSION: De Laubenfels (1935) added 
a species, M. diem chord, to Monanchor a Carter 
which, up to that time contained only the type 
species, Monanchor a clathrata 10 , a poorly known 
species described from a single wave-worn Aus- 
tralian specimen. Monanchora dianchora does 
not resemble Carter’s species at all closely but 
is identical to Folitispa pingens described by 
de Laubenfels (1954) from the central Pacific. 
Folitispa was erected by de Laubenfels (1936) 
for Hymedesmia laevissima Dendy. This sponge 
has small dermal tylostyles in brushes, tangen- 
tial spicules in the dermal membrane, in addi- 
tion to large endosomal tylostyles and peculiar 
isochelae of one category only, differing from 
those of M. dianchora in being slightly spathu- 
late isancorae rather than unguiferate isancorae. 
Only two species other than the type ( H . 
laevissima) have been described in Folitispa: 
F. pingens ( = M, dianchora) and Folitispa 
acuata Levi (1958). Both of these have un- 
guiferate isancorae of two size groups in addi- 
tion to tylostyles which, in F. acuata, are divisi- 
ble into two size groups; in F. dianchora, al- 
though there is a special arrangement of dermal 
megascleres, there is no size differentiation of 
these spicules. Levi (1958) pointed out that 
de Laubenfels, in describing Folitispa pingens, 
10 M. clathrata has one type of microsclere, 5- 
anchorate with long points (8-29M overall dimen- 
sions), subtylote megascleres (393 X 10m); surface 
characters unknown, shape unknown. 
had added a species to Folitispa which did not 
conform to the characters of the type, there 
being no megasclere differentiation and the 
skeleton being confused. Restudy of the type of 
F. pingens shows that a plumose skeletal ar- 
rangement is present, although feebly developed 
owing to the encrusting form. It is important 
to note that the form of the isochelae is dif- 
ferent in the type species, H. laevissima (isan- 
corae spathuliferae ) and the two later species 
(isancorae unguiferae). Since this genus Is de- 
fined principally on chela-type it is difficult to 
reconcile these two groups in Folitispa as it is 
presently defined. 
Levi mentions Amphilectus ungiculatus Dendy 
as being close to the Folitispa group. De Lau- 
benfels (1936) made this sponge the type of 
Okadaia, a new genus possessing "tylostyles- 
and strap-like sigmas with toothed ends.” In 
1949 de Laubenfels noted that Okadaia was 
preoccupied and replaced this name with Neo- 
speriopsis and stated "the diagnosis remains 
the same.” In the same work, however, he 
named Neosperiopsis deichmannae as the type 
species. Neosperiopsis deichmannae Is in no 
way related to Amphilectus ungiculatus, the 
type of Okadaia . Hartman (1958) has shown 
that the microscleres of N. deichmannae are 
perfectly normal isochelae of the ff Homoedictya ” 
type and that the species Is almost indistin- 
guishable from Isodictya palmata Bowerbank. 
Neosperiopsis thus falls to Isodictya. It should 
be pointed out that Okadaia was initially 
founded upon a misreading of Dendy ’s descrip- 
tion of Amphilectus ungiculatus. Dendy clearly 
stated that this species possesses Isochelae (not 
sigmas, as de Laubenfels states); further, these 
chelae are unguiferate isancorae. 
There are several points in common between 
Amphilectus ungiculatus and Folitispa dian- 
chora: semi-plumose structure, no size differen- 
tiation of the megascleres, occasional mucronate 
or strongylote modification of the tips of the 
megascleres, spicule size, and chela type. The 
greatest differences between them are the lack 
of any dermal megascleres in A . ungiculatus, 
and absence of the small isochelae. 
In summary, Folitispa dianchora and Folit- 
ispa acuata are very closely related species 
which can not be genetically linked with Hy- 
