Hawaiian Sponges — DE Laubenfels 
247 
a manuscript describing freshwater sponges 
that he had personally found at Haepuaena 
on the Hawaiian Island of Maui and that 
Otto Degener had found on Oahu. Professor 
Svihla identified these as Heteromeyenia baileyii 
new subspecies. The present author con- 
cluded from the excellent descriptions ren- 
dered that they were typical baileyii, not a new 
variety. Therefore Professor Svihla so pub- 
lished them in a short article in SCIENCE. 
Otto Degener and the present author re- 
peatedly collected freshwater sponges on 
Oahu. They are common in the streams on the 
west or leeward side of the Koolau Moun- 
tains. These sponges look very much like 
Heteromeyenia , and closely resemble H. baileyii 
in particular. A perplexing difficulty, how- 
ever, arises. 
The genus Heteromeyenia is set off from the 
otherwise similar genus Meyenia by a differ- 
ence in the special gemmule spicules. In 
Meyenia these are birotulate or amphidisc 
microscleres all of a single category. In He- 
teromeyenia there are similar amphidiscs, but 
also a second category of much longer, at- 
tenuated amphidiscs occurs among them. 
The present author collected many spec- 
imens from various Oahu locations, and from 
each many gemmules. Numerous micro- 
scopic preparations were made, and studied 
for many hours. He was never able to find a 
single example of the second type of micro- 
scleres; every one of the specimens keyed to 
Meyenia, not to Heteromeyenia. 
The Oahu specimens do not match any of 
the species that have been described in the 
genus Meyenia. They do fit perfectly the spe- 
cies baileyii of Heteromeyenia in every respect 
except the one that is used to separate that 
genus from Meyenia. The opinion is here ex- 
pressed that they are indeed baileyii, but that 
those in Oahu have a most perplexing rarity 
of a critical characteristic. It would be interest- 
ing if the Oahu freshwater sponges were 
examined on successive years, and at various 
times per year; perhaps there is a time when 
the Heteromeyenia characteristic appears. 
DISTRIBUTIONAL NOTES 
Waialua Bay was studied 27 September 
1947, chiefly by face-plate diving. The follow- 
ing sponges were found: Spongia Oceania, Hali- 
clona per mollis (?), Xytopsiphum kaneohe, Catty- 
spongia diffusa (?), Toxadocia violacea , Micro- 
ciona maunaloa , Terpios zeteki , Cliona vastifica, 
Zaplethes digonoxea , and Leucetta solida. 
On 18 October 1947 a study was made of a 
large, shallow, nearly enclosed area known as 
the West Loch of Pearl Harbor, in a part of it 
called Ulumoku Pond. Sponges were abun- 
dantly present. Two or three of these proved 
to be Mycale cecila but all of the many others 
were Terpios zeteki. 
On 10 December 1947 an intensive study 
was made of the pilings in various portions 
of Honolulu Harbor. One interesting obser- 
vation concerned the fact that where wastes 
from the pineapple canneries entered the har- 
bor there were no sponges, and few other 
sessile invertebrates were present. The com- 
monest animals on the pilings seemed to be: 
Finger-sized grey ascidians, annelids with cal- 
careous tubes, erect bryozoa (Bugula?), bi- 
valve mollusks ( Anomia and Ostrea ?), barna- 
cles ( Balanus amphitritel), and, on nearly every 
piling, the sponge, Mycale cecilia. 
On the 24th, 25th, and 26th of January 
1948 an especially severe storm struck Oahu. 
On January 28th the beaches were studied 
from the southeast tip to the northwest side, 
for the wrack that is cast up by the waves. The 
only sponges found there were Spongia Oceania. 
It seems to be commoner, and to grow larger, 
than any other Hawaiian sponge. The natives 
called sponges "upi,” from their word for 
"to squeeze,” also "hu’e hu’e kai,” which 
means "foam of the sea.” 
On 14 February 1948 study was made both 
by diving and dredging near Koko Head (near 
Hanauma Bay). Vernon Brock, who was the 
most expert diver, reported that the bottom 
was liberally sprinkled with specimens that 
were obviously Spongia Oceania. Others found 
included: Xytopsues zukerani, Tedania ignis, 
