Hawaiian Sponges — DE Laubenfels 
Ulosa rhoda new species 
The type of this species was dredged 19 
February 1948 at a depth of 50 meters, 3 
kilometers south of Pearl Harbor. Another 
specimen was dredged 14 February 1948 at a 
depth of 20 meters, south of Diamond Head 
(Honolulu). The shape is cylindrical with, in 
each case, a single short branch. The diameter 
is about 2 cm. and the height about 8 cm. 
The consistency is spongy. The surface is 
coarsely cavernous, thus obscuring the pore- 
oscular situation. The caverns are about 1 mm. 
in diameter, representing the mesh of a fibro- 
reticulation of which the fiber ends often 
protrude from the surface. These fibers are 
50 to 150 microns in diameter and contain 
many of the spicules, but there are also nu- 
merous spicules loose between the fibers. The 
spicules are all styles, varying generally from 
13 X 400 to 15 X 310 microns; a few smaller 
ones are doubtless juveniles. 
Fig. 7. Camera lucida drawing (X 635) of a typical 
spicule (Style) of Ulosa rhoda. 
These sponges were particularly striking red 
in color when alive, and the name selected is 
based upon a Greek word for "rose.” So far 
as is known, this color is unique in the genus. 
Axinella solenoeides new species 
This species was dredged 10 April 1949 at 
a depth of more than 200 meters, near Kaena 
Point. The specimens are to be deposited in 
the U. S. National Museum. It is a ramose 
sponge, with cylindrical branches 2 to 3 mm. 
in diameter, and up to 6 cm. high. The color 
in life was light red and the consistency flex- 
ible. The surface had the smoothness of vel- 
vet, and was lipostomous. As is typical of the 
genus Axinella , there is an axial specialization 
241 
Fig. 8. Camera lucida drawing (X 635) of spicules 
of Axinella solenoeides : a. Style; b , oxea (Microxea); 
c, freehand sketch of the entire sponge, X 0.3. 
comprising diactinal spicules, surrounded by 
outward-pointing monaxons. The axial spe- 
cialization is generally a relatively solid core 
of fiber and spicule, and in places this is true 
of solenoeides , but in many places this sponge 
has an axial specialization that is a tube, with 
fibers and oxeote spicules around the hollow 
and parallel to it. The specific name is derived 
from a Greek word meaning "hollow,” the 
distinctive characteristic of this new species. 
The oxeas vary from 1 X 60 to 3 X 90 mi- 
crons; the styles of the plumose outer por- 
tion also vary considerably but are often about 
4 X 160 microns in dimensions. The smaller 
oxeas may even constitute a category of 
raphides. 
Homaxinella ananiesa new species 
This species was dredged 10 April 1949 at 
a depth of more than 200 meters, near Kaena 
Point. There were two separate collections; 
the type specimen is pronouncedly ramose 
with cylindrical branches 8 to 14, generally 10 
mm. diameter. It reaches a height of 13 cm. 
— — 1 ^ 
Fig. 9. Camera lucida drawing (X 635) of a typical 
spicule (Style) of Homaxinella anamesa. 
The second specimen is somewhat flabellate 
due to lateral fusion of branches and is only 
about 7 cm. high. The color in life was bright 
vermillion red and the consistency spongy 
but easily torn. There was some obvious slime 
