Onotoa Sponges — deLaubenfels 
141 
ends. They are about 50 to 60 microns long. 
They are strongly suggestive of the immature 
forms of the microscles that characterize Pla- 
cospongia , but in this latter genus the longest 
rays are in the center, not at the ends. The 
mature amphispherasters have conical rays, 
not the blunted and branched rays of Placo - 
spongias sterrasters. These amphispherasters 
are 30 to 40 microns in head diameter, and 
63 to 80 microns in length. 
14. Stylotella agminata (Ridley) Lendenfeld 
This species was taken by both Cloud and 
Banner, as follows: 
July 27. Banner, my number 52056 
August 23- Cloud, my number 52059 
August 25- Cloud, my number 52050 
August 25- Cloud, my number 52052 
August 25- Cloud, my number 52057 
August 25. Cloud, my number 52062. 
Number 52059 was taken 5 kilometers north 
by 31° west from Tabu Arorae Maneaba near 
center of Te Rawa ni Bao, a pass in the south 
part of the leeward reef. The collections on 
August 25 were all in the central part of the 
lagoon. Number 52052 was 2.5 kilometers 
south by 7 6° west of Ai Aki Maneaba on a 
patch of reef. The other three were from deep 
water 4 kilometers west of Ai Aki Maneaba. 
This species was described by Ridley (1884: 
466) from Australia. It is abundant there, and 
throughout the Indian Ocean and East Indian 
region. It is reported as abundant in the West 
Central Pacific, and redescribed, by deLauben- 
fels (1954: 212). It was by far the most con- 
spicuous sponge in the Marianas, and was 
nearly as outstanding in the Palaus, Truk and 
Ponape. It was not certainly found in the 
Marshalls, however, although a few tiny in- 
crustations there (not identified) may have 
been juveniles. That study was made in the 
Marshalls earlier than in the other portions 
of Micronesia. Perhaps there is an annual 
cycle, and large size is reached only as late 
as August in some island regions. Stylotella 
certainly seems to have become noticeable at 
Onotoa toward the end of Cloud’s collecting. 
15. Cliona lobata Hancock 
One specimen was taken by Banner on 
August 8, my number 52032. This cosmo- 
politan boring species is redescribed by de- 
Laubenfels (1954: 215) and recorded from 
Ebon, Likiep and Rongerik of the Marshall 
Islands, and from Truk. 
16. Jaspis stellifera (Carter) deLaubenfels 
One specimen was taken by Banner on July 
31, my number 52019, 1.3 kilometers south 
by 32° west from Te Kawa church, at the 
lagoon margin of the south end of the reef 
stretch known as Aon te Baba. It is described 
as white in life. This species was described 
by Carter (1879: 344) from Australia. It is 
also recorded by deLaubenfels (1954: 225) 
from Eniwetok of the Marshalls and from 
Truk, where it is common. 
17. Tethya diploderma Schmidt 
This sponge was taken by Banner on Au- 
gust 2, my number 52004, and on August 6, 
my number 52035. It is a cosmopolitan spe- 
cies and is redescribed and recorded from 
Likiep Atoll of the Marshall Islands by de- 
Laubenfels (1954: 232). 
18. Tethytimea stellagrandis (Dendy) de- 
Laubenfels 
One specimen of this sponge was taken by 
Banner on August 6, my number 52036. The 
species is not described in deLaubenfels 
(1954) as are all the others in the present 
collection except the new species, therefore 
it will be described here. An additional justi- 
fication exists for this redescription; the Ono- 
toa specimen differs enough from that of 
Dendy that it is conceivable that a new spe- 
cies name might eventually be applied to it. 
This specimen in alcohol is a pale pinkish 
incrustation. The pores and oscules (which are 
closed) must have been minute. The surface 
is somewhat hispid, but is covered with tuber- 
cles of the sort characteristic of Tethya. The 
specimen is so thin that no sharp differentia- 
