Report on the zoological collections made in the Indo-Pacific Ocean ...

SPONGIIDA. 403and Australian specimens have rather thicker branches than thosefrom the Straits of Malacca, viz. 12 to 25 millim. as against about10 millim.Hub. Prince of Wales Channel and Thursday Island, Torres'Straits, beach and 7-9 fms. ; Port Darwin, 7-12 fms.Distribution. Straits of Malacca {Boiuerbanlc) ; New Guinea(^BowcrbanJc coll.).33. Toxochalina rohiista. (Plate XXXIX. fig. G ;Plate XLI, figs, n, n .)Eepent, branching, attached usually by the lower surface of themain stem or branches. Stem and branches subcylindrical, unevenin places, subnodular, varying in diameter within short distances ;solid, not tubular. Branches given off at intervals of 1 to 2inches, at angles of from about 30° to 80°, sometimes anastomosing.Stem and main branches usually 10 to 18 millim. in greatestdiameter, some small branches descend to 4 and 5 millim. Ventsfew, approximately one to the space between each two branches,the margins usually sharp and projecting somewhat ; diameter3 to G millim. ; excretory canals penetrating straight and deeplyinto the substance of the sponge. Sponge, in spirit, tough, butyielding and pliable (almost as much so as ChaJina oculata, Pallas).Internal fibres soft and elastic, forming a close network. Dermalmembrane firmer, parchment-like, even, glabrous, slightly markedby the apices of the primary skeleton-fibres and the dermal skeletonnetwork.Colour of sponge in spirit pale brown, inclined to yellow.Main skeleton consisting of straight, stout, bright amber-yellow,horny primary fibres, "05 to "075 millim. thick, and about -5 to "7millim. apart at surface, meeting the siu'face at right angles, andsometimes projecting slightly ;their apices are, however, connectedby a system of fine horizontal fibre-network ; sjiicules closely aggregated,confined to the axis of fibre, forming a band there of about6 to 8 spicules broad, and occupying, near the surface of the sponge,only about one third of the total thickness of the fibre. Secondaryfibres at right angles to primaries, of paler yellow horny fibre, about•035 to -05 millim. in diameter and -28 to -35 millim. apart;spicules of axis in a unispicular series (occasionally two spiculesbroad), often interrupted altogether or wholly wanting. Dermalskeleton formed by a few very stout, dark yellow fibres, "05 to •!millim. thick and 1 to 1*4 millim. apart, enclosing angular spacesfilled by a close subrectangular network of paler, mostly non-spiculatefibres from -009 to •045 millim. in diameter. Sarcode very paleyellow, transparent, with numerous small dark granules.Skeleton- spicule acerate, tapering abruptly from within about 1|diameters of ends to very sharp points ; size •I by ^0032 to -0042millim. Flcsh-spicule tricurvate acerate, curves moderately bold,tapering gradually to sharp points from centre ; size ^05 to •063 by•0017 to ^0021 millim. ; found in superficial and deeper parts of thesponge, fairly abundant.Hab. Port Jackson, 0-5 fms.2d2