erate See RANE ME eA neote tats Meer ere we Varna Dasa sue Dede thap a elsihy > opr yenate te hs te Terad ee DS Lenape naeaie hs Fey Py Oke PN ADEM: beet Susy chc art tte ne NIE 2 read eight es Hi Fe pet ab Te Fe) vinta dake! PES ae Oe en ee re as alae Acer ees = RIA ATED Pha FL oh Site asin ptt tet Te Ty Rg SeaTac a Dat ar ee eee “a ct SMe TRONET: pare ae ee ee ae a Se 4 ita ee ae en ” HARVARD UNIVERSITY ii Sh LIBRARY OF THE Museum of Comparative Zoology = B A) ee eee Se a a Ss - © h Shy eee (aa A | POSTILLA PEABODY MUSEUM YALE UNIVERSITY NUMBER 132. 22 MAY 1969. NEW SPECIES AND RECORDS OF SHALLOW WATER DEMOSPON- GIAE FROM BARBADOS, WEST INDIES GEORGE JOHN HECHTEL POSTILLA Published by the Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University Postilla includes results of original research on systematic, evolution- ary, morphological, and ecological biology, including paleontology. Syntheses and other theoretical papers based on research are also welcomed. Postilla is intended primarily for papers by the staff of the Peabody Museum or on research using material in this Museum. Editors: Jeanne E. Remington and Nancy A. Ahlstrom Postilla is published at frequent but irregular intervals. Manuscripts, orders for publications, and all correspondence concerning publications should be directed to: Publications Office Peabody Museum of Natural History New Haven, Conn., 06520, U.S.A. Lists of the publications of the Museum are available from the above office. These include Postilla, Bulletin, Discovery, special publications, and available back numbers of the discontinued journal, Bulletin of the Bingham Oceanographic Collection. All except Discovery are available in exchange for relevant publications of other scientific institutions anywhere in the world. NEW SPECIES AND RECORDS OF SHALLOW WATER DEMOSPONGIAE FROM BARBADOS WEST INDIES GEORGE JOFN HECHTEL Dept. of Biological Sciences State University of New York at Stony Brook Stony Brook, N.Y. 11790 ABSTRACT Descriptions are given of eleven species of Demospongiae col- lected off Barbados, W.I. Five are new species and four are new records for this locality. New species are Strongylophora dendyi, Coelosphaera raphidifera, Monanchora barbadensis, Bubaris am- mosclera, and Timea stenosclera. POSTILLA 132: 38 p. 22 MAY 1969. 2 POSTILLA INTRODUCTION The shallow water inshore sponges of Barbados were surveyed in June, 1966. The study was undertaken to provide additional descriptive information on the sponge fauna of the Lesser Antilles. An extensive faunal list is available only for Curacao (Arndt, 1927). My study of Jamaican sponges (Hechtel, 1965) indicated the possible presence of a distinct southern Caribbean fauna, which might contain a strong West African element. Barbados was selected as a study site, since it has a marine station and a southeastern location in the island chain. Previous records of Barbadian sponges are scattered in the literature. At least 34 species have been reported. The fauna includes one calcareous sponge (Burton, 1963, p. 367) and six hexactinellids (Stutchbury, 1842; Schmidt, 1880). Seven species of lithistid sponges are known from the island (Schmidt, 1879, 1880; identifications by Hartman, in Lewis, 1965). Non-lithistid Demospongiae have been recorded by Schmidt (1880), Weltner (1882), Carter (1883b), Topsent (1928), Uliczka (1929), and Hartman (identifications in Lewis, 1965). All species for which bathymetric information is available were collected at depths greater than 50 meters. Collections for the present study were made by snorkeling from shore in water from 1-15 feet (about 1/3—5 meters) in depth. Specimens of 10 species were collected on corals and coral rubble immediately offshore from the Bellairs Research Institute. The station is located in St. James parish, on the west coast. An eleventh species, Bubaris ammosclera, was collected in 45-50 feet (about 14-15m) of water, 1/2 mile off the west coast, by Dr. I. G. Macintyre of the Dept. of Geological Sciences, McGill Uni- versity. The specimens are deposited in the Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, U.S.A. (abbreviated as YPM in the text). Laboratory study methods have been summarized previously (Hechtel, 1965). In the data tables, ranges of spicule lengths are based on samples of 100 and ranges of megasclere widths on sam- ples of 25 spicules, unless otherwise noted in parentheses. Means and standard deviations are calculated from random samples of 10 measurements, Other measurements are based on the scanning of sections and spicule strews. NEW DEMOSPONGIAE FROM BARBADOS 3 The classification of de Laubenfels (1936b) is utilized in amended form. The family Adociidae is placed in the Haplo- sclerida (see Hechtel, 1965). The family Bubaridae is distinguished from the Axinellidae, as in Topsent (1928), and included in the order Clavaxinellida of Lévi (1956). Specimens are described in detail to facilitate future investigations at the Bellairs Institute. Zoogeographical studies also require detailed descriptions, since the limits of variation are poorly known for most species of sponges. For the benefit of investigators in the West Indies, each new species is compared not only with morphologically similar members of its genus, but with other tropical American species. The study was supported by a 1966 summer research fellowship and grant-in-aid No. 31-0230A, both from the Research Founda- tion of the State University of New York. Field facilities were made available by Dr. John Lewis, Director of the Bellairs Institute. The study benefited from discussions with Dr. Willard D. Hartman of Yale University. Specimens were made available for comparisons through the kindness of Dr. Hartman, Dr. William K. Emerson, American Museum of Natural History, and Dr. Klaus Riitzler, U.S. National Museum. Camera lucida draw- ings of spicules were prepared by Miss Martha Dimock. Mrs. Mary Buddenhagen and Mrs. Lillyan Yagman typed the final manuscript. SPECIES EIST Class DEMOSPONGIAE Order HAPLOSCLERIDA Haliclona erina de Laubentels Gelliodes ramosa (Carter ) Adocia carbonaria (Lamarck ) Strongylophora dendyi n. sp. Order POECILOSCLERIDA Coelosphaera raphidifera n. sp. Agelas schmidtii Wilson Monanchora barbadensis 0. sp. 4 POSTILLA Order CLAVAXINELLIDA Bubaris ammosclera n. sp. Timea stenosclera n. sp. Placospongia melobesioides Gray Order CHORISTIDA Chondrilla nucula Schmidt ECOLOGY AND ZOOGEOGRAPHY Sponges are known to be abundant in depths below 25 feet (about 8 m) near the Bellairs Institute (Lewis, 1965; personal communication). They are restricted in abundance and number in shallower water. The inshore collection has only two species (Gelliodes ramosa, Agelas schmidtii) 11 common with the 23 species collected by Lewis (1965) on shell debris in 50-100 me- ters. Encrusting sponges are certainly more numerous and diverse on coral rubble near the Kingston Cays, Jamaica (Hechtel, 1965, area H). Sponges could not be found in turtle grass beds along the coast of Christ Church parish, south of Bridgetown. They are abundant in numbers, if somewhat restricted in diversity, in similar beds near Port Royal and the Kingston Cays (Hechtel, 1965, areas D and J). Ramose and tubular sponges are common in 10-15 feet of water near the Cays (my area I, 1965), but are absent from the Barbadian study area. Wave action may be interacting with an unstable substratum to restrict sponge settlement and survival. Inshore water is obviously laden with sediment. Lewis (1960) noted the paucity of corals in the Barbadian reef flat zone. He reported beach shifting at the landward limit of the zone in periods of heavy seas. All of the observed sponges were encrusting in form. By con- trast, Jamaican specimens of Haliclonaerina often have tall oscular projections, and specimens of Gelliodes ramosa are typi- cally elongate and cylindrical. In 50-150 meters, Barbadian speci- mens of Agelas schmidtii are elongate and tubular (Hartman, personal communication). Observational evidence indicates that many species of sponges are restricted to an encrusting form in wave-exposed habitats. Currents influence at least the direction of oscular chimneys, as was shown by Warburton (1960), using reaggregating specimens of Microciona prolifera. NEW DEMOSPONGIAE FROM BARBADOS 5 The collection provides limited zoogeographical information. There is no evidence of affinities with West African sponges. Three of the previously known species are restricted, on present evidence, to tropical Atlantic American waters (Haliclona erina, Gelliodes ramosa, and Agelas schmidtii). Chondrilla nucula is circumtropical. Most records of Placospongia melobesioides are from the Indo-Pacific. Adocia carbonaria may be conspecific with Pacific sponges studied by Bergquist (1965, p. 158). Three of the new species are morphologically similar to Indo- Pacific sponges. Strongylophora dendyi is very similar to S. durissima Dendy, from Ceylon. Coelosphaera raphidifera is similar to an Indonesian as well as a tropical American species. Monan- chora_ barbadensis belongs to a genus that has been known previously only from the Indo-Pacific. Ekman (1953) noted faunal similarities between the West Indies and the Indo-Pacific on a generic level, using data from crabs and echinoderms. He sug- gested the similarities were due to an earlier connection between the regions provided by the Tethys Sea. DESCRIPTIONS OF SPECIES cLASs DEMOSPONGIAE Sollas ORDER HAPLOSCLERIDA Topsent FAMILY HALICLONIDAE de Laubenfels GENUS HALICLONA Grant Haliclona erina de Laubenfels, 1936a Hechtel 19 65.4p219: MATERIAL. YPM 7740, two specimens on coral fragments; YPM 7754, a small specimen originally on a coral fragment with a specimen of Agelas schmidtii (YPM 7751). Occurs commonly. SHAPE. Encrusting, about 0.5 cm in thickness, with some oscules raised 1-2 mm above the surrounding surface. COLOR. The sponges are a dull dark green in life. They become pinkish-gray in alcohol. CONSISTENCY. Compressible, but easily crumbled. 6 POSTILLA SURFACE. Even, smooth to the touch, but microhispid. The scat- tered, mostly flush oscules are 1-5 mm in diameter. Their rims are often jagged and irregular. ECTOSOME. There is no skeletal specialization. Surface strips con- tain scattered spicules and severed endosomal tracts. The dermal membrane is pierced by oval to circular pores, separated by aspiculous bands about 10-20 » in span. Typical pore sizes are 53.53, 03x93; 4232, and 7442 x. ENDOSOME. Microcavernous. A three- to five-sided subisodictyal network has one to several spicules on a side. In places, the skeleton contains slender spicule tracts, 20-40 » in diameter. Most of the tracts run vertically near the surface. As seen in cross section, the ectosome is darkly pigmented and often pierced by terminal spicules of ascending tracts. Spongin is present at the network nodes. Some spicules, particularly thin ones, lie scattered in the mesh interstices. Typical sizes of the oval flagel- lated chambers are 35x24, 28 «24, and 31x24 x. SPICULES. Oxeas, usually slightly curved, occasionally straight or strongly curved, rather uniform in diameter over most of their length. The points are typically gradually narrowed to hastate, but may be irregular, mucronate, or stair-stepped. A few spicules are styles, with or without a narrowed base. Spicule measure- ments are listed in Table 1. YABLE |. Haliclona ecrina de Laubenfels —oxea measurements (vw). Specimen = Lenehan Range Mean, SD Range Mean, SD 7740a 152-184 168+7 3.5-7.1 5.422153 7740b 147-179 166+8 355 /al 5.61.4 7754 147-189 M725 3.5-7.1 5.4+1.3 DISCUSSION. The present specimens, which were collected in a more surf-exposed location, lack the pronounced volcanic oscular projections of Jamaican ones. They are similar to Jamaican speci- mens in architecture and spiculation. The flagellated chambers NEW DEMOSPONGIAE FROM BARBADOS 7 of Jamaican specimens are of similar size (for example, 35 16, 2414 «). De Laubenfels’ Panamanian specimens (1936a, p. 457) are described as being amorphous to encrusting, as in the present case. The flagellated chambers of his material are of similar size (30 4), but are described as spherical. The brilliant green coloration of his material differs from the dull green colora- tion of both Jamaican and Barbadian specimens. FAMILY DESMACIDONIDAE Gray GENUS GELLIODES Ridley Gelliodes? ramosa (Carter, 1882) Hartman, 1967, p. 20. MATERIAL. YPM 7742, several specimens from coral and coral rubble; YPM 7748, an encrustation in the fork of a piece of coral rubble, which also bears a specimen of Agelas schmidtii. Occurs commonly. SHAPE. Encrusting, about 0.5 cm in thickness. COLOR. The sponges are dull blue to grayish purple in life. They become dull gray in alcohol. CONSISTENCY. Slightly compressible, resilient, fibrous. SURFACE. Rough to the touch, mostly even. The surface varies from microtuberculate to minutely conulose, with fiber tufts reaching nearly 1 mm in height. The scattered oscules are 0.5—3 mm in diameter. They may be flush with the surface or surrounded by irregular, slightly raised rims. ECTOSOME. There is no dermal skeletal specialization. The mem- brane contains scattered debris, a few spicules, and fiber ends. The singly scattered dermal pores are 50—100 » in diameter. ENDOSOME. Microcavernous. A mostly pachychalinid fibroreticu- lation, with scattered spicules and loose spicule tracts in the inter- stices. The meshes are irregularly polygonal to rectangular, with parallel sides often several hundred microns apart. The fibers are 50-265 » in diameter, with many visible to the unaided eye. 8 POSTILLA Some fibers, particularly thicker ones, are packed with spicules and coated by a thin spongin film. Smaller fibers intergrade with the loosely grouped spicule tracts of the interstices. Ascending fibers branch near the surface to end in tufts of varied size. Their terminal spicules often project slightly beyond the flesh. The small, oval flagellated chambers are about 3020 up. SPICULES. Oxeas, usually slightly to considerably curved, occa- sionally straight, rarely stylote or strongylote. The shafts are rather uniform in diameter over most of their length. The points may be gradually narrowed, hastate, or stair-stepped. Spicule measure- ments are listed in Table II. rABLE Il. Gelliodes ramosa (Carter) —oxea measurements (1). Specimen (a Leneh SN e 1 ereeN Range Mean, SD Range Mean, SD 7748 189-242 22S ==iul 4.7-8.2 7.80.8 7742a 179-273 Dyes) 5.9-11.8 py ees Ie7/ 7742b 200-273 23517] 7.1-9.4 8.2+0.4 7742¢ 179-263 23,021) 5.9-10.6 8.7+1.0 DISCUSSION. The Barbadian specimens are similar in architecture, megasclere form, and megasclere size to Jamaican specimens (Hechtel, 1965, as Gelliodes areolata). They differ in having a dull blue color and an encrusting form (the latter perhaps due to strong wave action). Sigmas are lacking, as is the case for five of six Jamaican specimens. A Puerto Rican specimen, described as Pachychalina areolata by Wilson (1902), also lacks sigmas (Hechtel, 1955). Hartman (in Lewis, 1965) recorded the species (as Pachy- chalina areolata) in depths of 50-150 meters off Barbados. Pachychalina Schmidt is similar to Gelliodes but lacks microscleres. It offers an alternative solution to the problem of generic place- ment posed by the variability of microsclere abundance in the species. Recently, Hartman (1967) placed Wilson’s species into synonymy with Gelliodes ramosa (Carter, 1882), from Venezuela, after an examination of the holotype. NEW DEMOSPONGIAE FROM BARBADOS 2 FAMILY ADOCIIDAE de Laubenfels GENUS ADOCIA Gray Adocia carbonaria (Lamarck, 1813) Fechtel; 1965, p; 26. MATERIAL. YPM 7746, two specimens growing on coral fragments, taken from Porites rubble. Minute specimens occur on several of the other coral fragments in the collection. Occurs commonly. SHAPE. Encrusting, about 0.5—1 cm in thickness, with some of the oscules on volcano-shaped elevations, which reach 3 mm in height. coLor. Black, externally and internally, in life and when preserved in alcohol. The blue-black exudate characteristic of Jamaican specimens was noted at the time of collection. At first alcohol is darkly discolored by the sponge, but after several changes it merely becomes yellow. CONSISTENCY. Brittle, but easily crumbled; only very slightly com- pressible. SURFACE. Smooth to the touch and even, except for oscular eleva- tions. The scattered oscules are flush to elevated in position, and 2-8 mm in diameter. The dermal membrane is conspicuous. ECTOSOME. A subisodictyal, mostly unispicular, typically three- to five-sided network of oxeas, bound at nodes by spongin. In places the mesh includes several spicules on a side. The network en- closes groups of 2-10 roughly circular dermal pores, 10-70 » in diameter. Adjacent pores are separated by thin aspiculous bands, typically 2-5 » in diameter. The spicules are often bordered (particularly at nodes) by small, dark, circular, pigmented cells 5 » in diameter. ENDOSOME. Microcavernous, with a confused to subisodictyal archi- tecture. The mesh is variously composed of single spicules, loose groups of several spicules, and spicule tracts. Spongin is present at nodes and in small amounts along many of the tracts. The more compact spicule tracts are 55-105 » in diameter, with parallel tracts frequently several hundred microns apart. Darkly pigmented cells are abundant. 10 POSTILLA SPICULES. Oxeas, slightly to strongly curved, rarely straight, nearly uniform in thickness over much of their length. The ends may be hastate, mucronate, stair-stepped, or blunt. A few spicules are stylote or strongylote, with narrowed ends. Spicule measurements are listed in Table III. TABLE III. Adocia carbonaria (Lamarck) —oxea measurements (yw). Specimen ae Length-————~ (= WIth SSN Range Mean, SD Range Mean, SD 7746a 194-236 DNASE] 5.9-9.4 S:2e= 13 7746b 194-247 215+10 5.9-10.6 OM =e DISCUSSION. The Barbadian specimens are similar to Jamaican ones in external and spicular characteristics. Spicule tracts are more prominent in the Barbadian examples. However, well-developed tracts are present in the holotype (Topsent, 1930, p. 26), speci- mens from Curagao (Arndt, 1927, p. 152), and West Indian specimens (Carter, 1882° p. 277, 282). GENUS STRONGYLOPHORA._ Dendy Dendy’s original generic diagnosis (1905) emphasized the pres- ence of strongyles of varied size and smooth microxeas, None of the species attributed to the genus have sigmas, contrary to de Laubenfels’ definition (1936b). Strongylophora dendyi n. sp. (Figure 1) HOLOTYPE. YPM 7747, one specimen, on a piece of coral rubble. SHAPE. A small flat encrustation, 2-3 mm in thickness. coLor. In life, the sponge is cream to dull white. In alcohol, it is dull white. CONSISTENCY. Soft, compressible, but easily crumbled. SURFACE. Smooth to the touch, with an obvious dermal mem- brane. The oscules are scattered, flush with the surface, and 0.5—3 mm in diameter. NEW DEMOSPONGIAE FROM BARBADOS 11 (f | lOu || eee ce |Op FIG. 1. Spicules of Strongylophora dendyi n. sp., YPM 7747. Holotype. A) Five strongyles of various sizes. B) Two microxeas. A: scale I. B: scale II. ECTOSOME. A close-meshed, four- to five-sided reticulation. The skeletal network is composed typically of compact spicule tracts, but single spicules and loose spicule clusters are not infrequent. The tracts range in diameter from 20-55 ». The maximum mesh span is typically 50-85 ,. Long robust strongyles form the bulk of the reticulation, but megascleres of all sizes are present, partic- ularly at the skeletal nodes. Associated with the dermal reticula- tion are small projecting strongyles and numerous microxeas. The 12 POSTILLA microxeas lie across or project from the reticulation, singly and in clumps. ENDOSOME. An irregular, subisodictyal reticulation, with one to several spicules on a side. The mesh sides are composed largely of long and medium sized strongyles, but small ones are common at the skeletal nodes. Spongin is present at the nodes, and occa- sionally envelops a spicule. The mesh interstices contain thin developing strongyles, strongyles of small size, and an abundance of microxeas. In places dense bands of flesh, 30-105 ». in diameter, traverse the endosome. They contain numerous strongyles (mostly of small to medium size) and microxeas. Next to the substratum, strongyles of all sizes form a densely packed spicular mat. SPICULES. Strongyles of varied size, and microxeas (Fig. 1). Spicule measurements are listed in Table IV. TABLE IV. Strongylophora dendyi n.sp.—spicule measurements (u) of holotype. Spicule (ae ENGI = > Width——\ Range Mean, SD Range Mean, SD Strongyle, large 158-242 20d ==22. 4.7-8.2 6.8+1.4 Strongyle,medium 68-152 (50) 110+30 2.4-7.1 Darl Strongyle, small 18-72 (50) saselS 12-7 al 3. Stile Microxea 18-28 (50) 22323 1.2-1.7 1.4+0.2 A-strongyles, greatly varied in length. The smaller spicules are sausage-shaped, stout, and straight to slightly or considerably curved. They are rarely centrotylote. Medium-sized spicules are thin to robust, and slightly to considerably curved. The longer megascleres are robust and slightly curved. Intermediates are common between the three sizes. B—microxeas, fusiform, straight to slightly curved or considerably bent, infrequently centrotylote, gradually pointed. Some arcuate isochelas and oxyspherasters are present in spicule boils. In sections and dermal peels, almost all are associated with clumps of debris and obviously foreign spicules. They are con- sidered to be foreign inclusions. NEW DEMOSPONGIAE FROM BARBADOS 13 DISCUSSION. The smaller spicules of the Barbadian sponge are similar to those of the type species, Strongylophora durissima Dendy (1905), from the Indian Ocean. The latter species dif- fers in having a largely unispicular dermal network and in having strongyles that become far more robust (up to 18-20 » in dia- meter). Three tropical American species have been attributed to the genus. S. amphioxa de Laubenfels (1950) has peculiar stair- stepped oxeas interpreted by de Laubenfels as modified strongyles. The microscleres are thin, elongate, raphidiform oxeas. S$. rampa de Laubenfels (1934) from deeper waters off Puerto Rico is a cylindrical sponge with elongate microxeas and strongyles of very uniform size (330-380 « 12-13 ,»). S. santa de Laubenfels (1936a), from the Atlantic coast of Panama, differs from S. dendyi in being greenish-black, stony, and provided with large oxeas (25x54). Hartman (identifications in Lewis, 1965) recorded another Barbadian Strongylophora at depths of SO-100 meters. His specimens are not conspecific with mine, since they differ in strongyle form and in the larger size of their oxeote spicules (personal communication and examination of his slides). ORDER POECILOSCLERIDA Topsent FAMILY COELOSPHAERIDAE Dendy GENUS COELOSPHAERA Thomson Coelosphaera raphidifera n. sp. (Figure 2) HOLOTYPE. YPM 7745, on a piece of coral. SHAPE. A thin encrustation, from which closed fistules arise, partic- ularly at the periphery. The base is several mm in thickness. The hollow thin-walled fistules are several mm wide and reach 2 cm in length. They occasionally have one or two short basal or apical branches. coor. In life, the sponge is white with purplish-brown tinges. In alcohol, it becomes dull white to gray, except for the darkened apices of the fistules. CONSISTENCY. The fistules are delicate and bendable. The base has a tough rind and crumbly endosome. 14 POSTILLA e m1 (i aan lOu A B C ( LU lO | excaoeneeaeri| SO” FIG. 2. Spicules of Coelosphaera raphidifera n. sp., YPM 7745. Holotype. A) Tylotes. B) Raphides. C) Sigmas of two sizes. D) Isochela. A, B: scale Ik ©: scale Ik Ds scale ull. SURFACE. Even, smooth to the touch, lipostomous. ECTOSOME. The easily detachable dermal rind averages slightly less than 0.5 mm in thickness. Examination of dermal peels taken from the base suggests that the pore-bearing membrane contains NEW DEMOSPONGIAE FROM BARBADOS Us) scattered sigmas and singly scattered openings, about 35><25 pL The membrane is underlain by a rind of thickly scattered tylotes, devoid of any distinct layering. Fistule walls consist of a thick mat of tylotes, mostly oriented longitudinally or horizontally. The feltwork is devoid of micro- scleres, except for rare sigmas. In places the fistular cavities are partially occluded by cavernous tissue containing a varied num- ber of sigmas (both sizes) and a few tylotes and isochelas. ENDOSOME. Microcavernous. Tylotes are strewn loosely to thickly in the interior of the base. Although sometimes grouped into clusters, they never form compact tracts. The flesh contains numerous sigmas of both sizes and lesser numbers of isochelas and raphides. Most of the raphides are grouped into trichodrag- mata. Small sigmas are particularly common in the membranous regions around canals, where they occur in tangled masses. SPICULES. Tylotes, sigmas, arcuate isochelas, and raphides. Spicule measurements are listed in Table V. TABLE V. Coelosphaera raphidifera n. sp.—spicule measurements (u) of holotype. Spicule mE CN tN SN, (a Width Range Mean, SD Range Mean, SD Tylote 231-488 384+81 —_—_— == shaft ———— ——— 3.5-10.6 (52 head oa ——— 4.7-10.6 S.5=E 1S Sigma, large 42.4-61.2 (40) 49.6+4.9 1E2=322 —_—— Sigma, small 20.0-40.0 DAKASES 1.0-1.2 ———— Isochela 19.9-28.2 (35) DAM 23 0.7 (shaft) }———— Raphide 294-473 (35) 431+34 I a A-tylotes, long, thin, usually singly or doubly curved, less fre- quently nearly straight, with smooth oval heads. The heads are often no thicker than the middle region of the somewhat fusiform shafts. 16 POSTILLA B-raphides, largely in trichodragmata, often slightly undulating. The sheaves are 30-45 » in diameter. Their presence makes it unlikely that the raphidiform spicules are early developmental stages of tylotes. (Thin tylotes with distinct heads are present in the endosome. ) C-sigmas, divided into two size classes, with a few intermediates. D-isochelas, arcuate, but tending toward the palmate condition. The lateral teeth project freely from the shaft for up to one-third of their length. DISCUSSION. The species is characterized by its spicule dimen- sions and the presence of trichodragmata, which are infrequent in the genus. It is distinguished from the closely related Coelo- sphaera_ biclavata (Priest, 1881, as Polymastia) from British Honduras by small differences in form, architecture, and spicula- tion. Priest’s specimen is described as being a minute bulbous mass from which fistules project. The rind is extended inward at inter- vals by stout skeletal pillars (see his plate XXIII, fig. 4). The microsclere complement, if accurately described, differs from that of the present species in having two sizes of chelas and a single size of sigmas. In addition, the chelas (13 », 17 ») and _ tricho- dragmata (254 ») are smaller in size. De Laubenfels (1936b) erroneously transferred Priest’s species to Cornulella Dendy (1921). Cornulella lundbecki Dendy, the type species, has a microsclere complement of isochelas, toxas, and microrhabds (plus a few sigmas, probably of foreign origin). The Barbadian sponge is also similar in spiculation to the Indonesian Coelosphaera fucoides (Topsent, 1897). Topsent’s material has chelas of larger maximum size and peculiar ramify- ing fistules. Little information is available on the internal struc- ture of his species. The Barbadian sponge also has _ spicular similarities to the Pacific Coelosphaera (Siderodermella) navicel- ligerum (Ridley; see Ridley and Dendy, 1887), but it has no navicelliform chelas. Two species of Coelosphaera have been recorded from tropical Atlantic America. C. tunicata Schmidt (1870, as Desmacidon) from Florida differs from C. raphidifera in having a single cat- egory of large sigmas and no raphides. Its “stumpf-stumpfe” megascleres may be strongyles. Topsent (1928, p. 224) was NEW DEMOSPONGIAE FROM BARBADOS 17 unable to locate the Floridian specimens at Strasbourg. He did locate Portuguese sponges that Schmidt (1870) regarded as aber- rant specimens of C. tunicata. Topsent (1920, p. 17) identified them as Hymedesmia filifera (Schmidt), a species of the Myxil- lidae. Coelosphaera fistula Little (1963) from Florida differs from C. raphidifera by the absence of raphides and in having distinctive unguiferate chelas, typically with four teeth at each end. Xytopsene sigmatum de Laubenfels (1949; also see Little, 1963) from the Bahamas and Florida exhibits some similarities in spiculation to Coelosphaera raphidifera. It differs markedly in other respects, including the absence of a dermal rind and fistules. FAMILY AGELASIDAE Verrill GENUS AGELAS Duchassaing and Michelotti Agelas schmidtii Wilson, 1902 Bewis, 1965-9 p. 1052, 11053, 1061. MATERIAL. YPM 7741, two specimens, 7741a encrusting and 7741b with an oscular projection; YPM 7748, on a coral fragment along with a specimen of Gelliodes ramosa; YPM 7749; YPM 7751. All specimens were growing on coral rubble. SHAPE. Mostly encrusting, with a maximum thickness of 0.5—1 cm; with or without oscular projections. YPM 7751 and 7741 b have single oscular projections (1 and 3 cm in height) arising marginally from an encrusting base. YPM 7749 is compressed, with an apical row of slightly elevated oscules, opening from a common central cloaca. coor. In life, the exterior is light orange to reddish-orange while the interior is pale orange to yellow orange. In alcohol, the sponges become pale orange, pale brown, or drab with orange tinges. CONSISTENCY. Tough but compressible. SURFACE. Even to uneven. The surface varies considerably, within and between specimens. It is typically microtuberculate to con- ulose, but may also be smooth. Conules, when present, range 18 POSTILLA from barely visible to 2-3 mm in height and tufted. Interconular ridges may also occur. The scattered oscules are 0.5-4 mm in diameter, with some apically placed on projections. ECTOSOME, The aspiculous dermal membrane is pierced by the terminal spicules of ascending fibers. Foreign material may be abundant. No dermal pores can be distinguished. ENDOSOME. Microcavernous. The skeleton is a three- to six-sided, irregularly polygonal fibroreticulation, with fibers 10-125 , in dia- meter. Parallel fibers are 50 to several hundred microns or even greater than 1 mm apart. Although aspiculous intervals occur (rarely up to | mm in length), most of the fibers are ech- inated abundantly by singly scattered acanthostyles of all sizes. The spicules are embedded by their bases and usually project outward at approximately right angles to the fibers. Most of the echinators of horizontal fibers near the surface project to- ward the exterior. Fibers ascending to the conules are echinated and cored by acanthostyles. The coring spicules, mostly of con- siderable length, are grouped loosely to compactly in the fibers, often in a semi-plumose arrangement. The ascending fibers fre- quently branch near the surface. Their terminal spicules pro- ject slightly (if at all) beyond the protoplasmic surface. The flesh contains varied amounts of sand and spicular debris. Some spicules, particularly thin developing ones, apparently lie free in the flesh. Acanthoxeas, when present, occur in both the echinating and coring positions in low numbers. SPICULES. Verticillately spined acanthostyles, with or without a few oxeote modifications, straight to slightly or considerably curved, with the shaft gradually tapering to a sharp point. Spines are almost completely confined to the whorls, with two to five visible in a row on spicules seen in profile. The spicule apices are often irregulary spined ocr devoid of spines. Larger spicules tend to have a higher number of whorls, a less prominent shaft spina- tion, and more prominent basal spines. The correlation is far from absolute. In most spicules the spines are low and incon- spicuous, ranging from 1.2—2.4 ,», although some spicules have spines as high as 4.7 ». The spicule bases usually are covered with spines or stout blunt tubercles, up to 6 » in length. Some spicules appear almost oxeote, due to the presence of a single NEW DEMOSPONGIAE FROM BARBADOS 19 large terminal tubercle. Spicule data are listed in Tables VI and VIII. Three specimens have a low number of definite acanthoxeas. The oxeote spicules are slightly to considerably curved and gradually pointed. They lack any sort of localization in the sponge and are assumed to be extreme variants of the acanthostyles. Spicule data for acanthoxeas are listed in Tables VII and VIII. TABLE VI. Agelas schmidtii Wilson —acanthostyle measurements (). Specimen + Raised (eee Een tN WI Oscules Range Mean, SD Range Mean, SD 774l1a = 63-226 149+50 5.9-10.6 es allen 7741b ae 46-252 156+52 4.7-10.6 ae 65) 7748 = 53-252 122+48 4.7-10.6 Si0z=201 7749 oF 68-221 147+24 5.9-10.6 7.8+1.4 ifs ae 74-336 180+70 4.7-11.8 9.62.3 TABLE VII. Agelas schmidtii Wilson—acanthoxea measurements (1). Specimen + Raised Oscules Length Width 7741b =F 163-192+28-231 (10) 5.9-7.8+1.0-9.4 (10) 7748 = 179-222+41-299 (10) 5.9-8.0+1.6-10.6 (10) 7749 =e 131-177+26-210 (10) 4.7-7.3+1.8-9.4 (10) TABLE VIII. Agelas schmidtii Wilson—whorl counts. Specimen + Raised Whorls, Oscules Spicule range Mean, SD 7741a = acanthostyle 8-16 M21 7741b ain acanthostyle 8-20 [522279 acanthoxea 12-20 632225 7748 — acanthostyle 7-19 13.6+3.4 acanthoxea 14-19 E2224, 7749 55 acanthostyle 8-16 PSS) acanthoxea 13-18 15.9+2.4 a 7/3) ae acanthostyle 9-20 (73-5 20 POSTILLA DISCUSSION. The five specimens are considered to be conspecific, despite differences in external form and spicule length. They are similar in skeletal architecture, spicule form, range of whorls per spicule, and spines per whorl. The present material is considered tentatively to be con- specific with A gelas schmidtii Wilson (1902), originally described from St. Thomas. Wilson’s type specimen (USNM 7683), which has been re-examined, is an elongate, microhispid, tubular, ir- regularly cylindrical sponge with several short projections. At present it is pale brown and compressible. A sample of 100 acanthostyles has a range of 67—-2343.5-7.1 », with 9-15, rarely to 21 whorls per spicule, and 2-3 visible spines per whorl. Most spicules are straight to slightly curved, but some of the more elongate ones are considerably curved. As in the present material, the correlation between spicule length and whorl number is Only an approximate one. In smaller spicules the spines are usually prominent, thorn-shaped, and perpendicularly projecting to recurved. The spination is usually less prominent in the more elongate spicules. The similarity in spiculation and architecture is offset partially by differences in external form. The presence of oscular projec- tions in three of my five specimens, along with a central cloacal cavity in one of them, suggests the possibility of tubular growth in an environment less subject to wave action. The character of the surface approaches that of Wilson’s type in my compressed specimen and the degree of conulation varies in the others. Four species of Agelas have been recorded previously from Barbados. Hartman (identifications in Lewis, 1965) reported A. schmidtii from 50-150 meters. Lewis (p. 1052, 1053) described it as branching and red in life. Hartman’s specimen (YPM 5880) is clearly conspecific with Wilson’s, with similarities extend- ing to external as well as anatomical features. Lewis’ samples from 50-150 meters also included specimens identified by Hartman as A gelas dispar Duchassaing and Michelotti (1864) and A. sceptrum (Lamarck, 1815; see Lamarck, 1836). The massive A. dispar is less similar in external form to the pres- ent material than is A. schmidtii. Burton and Rao (1932, p. 355) selected a neotype for A. dispar, but unfortunately gave neither a description nor geographical location for their specimen. The type specimen of A. sceptrum was restudied by Topsent (1933, NEW DEMOSPONGIAE FROM BARBADOS 21 p. 33). It is a cylindrical sponge with small stout spicules that are typically 12012 pw. A. dispar and A. sceptrum are now being revised by Dr. W. D. Hartman. A. flabelliformis (Carter, 1883b, as Ectyon) was described from the “West Indies” and Barbados. It differs from the present material in having a flabellate form with pores restricted to groups on one surface. Its acanthostyles were only 127 12.7 pw in “aver- age largest size.” Most of the other tropical American species of Agelas are poorly known. The common Agelas sparsus (Gray, 1867a) has smaller spicules than A. schmidtii, apparently all in the echinating position (Carter, 1871; de Laubenfels, 1936b). FAMILY MYCALIDAE Lundbeck GENUS MONANCHORA Carter Monanchora barbadensis n. sp. (Figure 3) HOLOTYPE. YPM 7750, on a coral fragment. SHAPE. A small thin encrustation, less than 0.5 mm in maximum thickness. COLor. The sponge is bright red in life. It becomes brown in alcohol. CONSISTENCY. Difficult to determine, due to the extreme thinness of the specimen. SURFACE. Smooth, lipostomous, microtuberculate. ECTOSOME. A thin membrane, in which openings cannot be detected. The membrane contains a few scattered thin megascleres and the projecting ends of endosomal skeletal spicules. Micro- scleres of both types are abundant. ENDOSOME. Stout subtylostyles are implanted singly on the sub- stratum, They are directed vertically upward with apices projecting slightly beyond the surface. A small amount of cementing spongin is present around the spicule bases. The thin subtylostyles are scattered and also partly clustered in loose groups, with bases at various levels and apices projecting slightly beyond the surface. The flesh contains debris and isochelas in varying abundance. 22 POSTILLA A B G hes (ese ie Wes sl lOu lOw FIG. 3. Spicules of Monanchora barbadensis n. sp., YPM 7750. Holotype. A) Thick subtylostyles. B) Thin subtylostyle. C,D) Isochelas. A,B: scale Is GxD:escalew ir NEW DEMOSPONGIAE FROM BARBADOS 23 Chelas are more numerous near the surface and toward the substratum. SPICULES. Stout and thin subtylostyles, and anchorate isochelas of two sizes (Fig. 3). Spicule measurements are listed in Table IX. TABLE IX. Monanchora barbadensis n. sp.—spicule measurements (u) of holotype. Spicule ———— Lencih=——_V C-_ Widh SF Range Mean, SD Range Mean, SD Subtylostyle, robust 142-273 18927 ——_— ——— shaft —-— ae 4.7-9.4 6.6+1.4 head on ——— 5.9-10.6 8.0+0.7 Subtylostyle, thin 179-305 264+24 or a shaft a oa 1.2-3.5 1.9+0.6 head —- a 2.4-4.7 3.1+0.6 Isochelas, large ae 212 (50), 18:8321°3 1.2-2.4 (shaft) _———— Isochelas, small 4.7-7.1 (25) 6.6+0.6 0.7 (shaft) — A-thick subtylostyles, rarely becoming styles, with rounded heads, without necks, and with gradually tapering shafts. B-thin subtylostyles, usually straight, occasionally slightly curved, with narrow elongate heads, without necks, and with gradually tapering shafts. C-anchorate isochelas, unguiferate, typically with five short, sharp teeth at each end, and strongly curved shafts. At each end, one tooth is in continuity with the shaft, while the two lateral teeth on each side share a common base. A few spicules seem to have only three teeth. The teeth are occasionally narrow and blunt- tipped. D-—small anchorate isochelas, unguiferate, c-shaped, and very thin. They are infrequent in sections and spicule strews, but are nu- merous in the dermal peels. Although teeth could not be seen on most, several spicules were clearly tridentate when viewed in situ under oil immersion. 24 POSTILLA Foreign spicules are present in the clumps of debris and in spicule strews. The most common are curved acanthostrongyles, 74-110 2.43.5 p. They are in association with obviously foreign tylotes, palmate isochelas, and toxas, and probably represent the fragments of another sponge. DISCUSSION. The present sponge is related to Indo-Pacific species placed in Monanchora Carter (1883a), Folitispa de Laubenftels (1936b), and Neofolitispa Bergquist (1965). Bergquist, regarding Monanchora as poorly known, established Neofolitispa for mycalids with unguiferate anchorate isochelas. At least for the present, Neofolitispa is regarded as a synonym of Monanchora. Bergquist emphasized the spatulate form of the anchorate isochelas in her redefinition of Folitispa. It should be noted that tooth form varies somewhat in the present material and also in Monanchora unguiculata (Dendy, 1921). The type species of Monanchora, M. clathrata Carter (1883a) from Australia, has unguiferate anchorates with five elongate claw-shaped teeth at each end. Little information is available on the internal structure of the poorly preserved holotype, which may have had a polygonally reticulate surface. Carter found two categories of subtylostyles and a single category of chelas in his specimen. The maximum spicule dimensions are somewhat larger than in the present material, and the chelas have more narrow and elongate teeth. Lévi (1961b) identified a Vietnamese sponge as Monanchora clathrata. His specimen differs from the holotype in having stylote megascleres and two categories of chelas. Bergquist (1965) con- sidered Lévi’s specimen to be conspecific with Monanchora dian- chora de Laubenfels (1935). However, it may well represent a distinct species. Bergquist (1965) recorded specimens from the Palau Archi- pelago as Neofolitispa dianchora (de Laubenfels). She considered her specimens to be conspecific with both Monanchora dianchora de Laubenfels and Folitispa pingens de Laubenfels (1954a). Her specimens and the holotype of F. pingens have plumose fibers and ectosomal spicule brushes. In both, the spicule complement includes a single category of megascleres and two sizes of isochelas. The Barbadian sponge differs from Bergquist’s material in having two categories of megascleres and smaller-sized isochelas. According NEW DEMOSPONGIAE FROM BARBADOS 25 to de Laubenfels’ description, M. dianchora has two partially dis- tinct megasclere categories. The Barbadian sponge differs from his description of M. dianchora in form, architecture, and microsclere SiZe. Monanchora acuata (Lévi, 1958, as Folitispa; see also 1961la) from the Indian Ocean and Red Sea also has unguiferate chelas. It closely resembles the Barbadian sponge in architecture and spic- ule dimensions, but the large isochelas have no more than three teeth. Lévi’s species lacks the plumose architecture of Bergquist’s material. Monanchora unguiculata (Dendy, 1921, as Amphilectus) differs from the present material in having a single megasclere category and chelas that are extremely variable in tooth development. Specimens attributed to the species by Lévi (196la, as Hyme- desmia) have two sizes of isochelas and acanthostyles of varied abundance. Monanchora viridis (Kieschnick, 1898, as Esperiopsis) from Indonesia, with two sizes of isochelas, is distinguished by its robust tylostyles, fibrous architecture, and tubercular surface. ORDER CLAVAXINELLIDA Lévi FAMILY BUBARIDAE Topsent The family was established by Topsent (1894, p. 20) and is used in the sense of Topsent, 1928. The family includes genera with monactinal megascleres, mostly projecting from a basal mat or axial column of diactinal megascleres. The latter are angu- lated, bent, undulating, or irregularly flexed. Microscleres, if present, are trichites. GENUS BUBARIS Gray Encrusting, massive, or ramose in form. The monactinal spicules are styles or tylostyles. The flexuous diactinal spicules are oxeas or strongyles. Two species have trichites (see Dendy, 1921). Bubaris ammosclera n. sp. (Figure 4) MATERIAL. Two specimens, YPM 7756 (holotype) and YPM 7757, collected by Dr. Ian Macintyre, of McGill University, in 45-50 feet (about 14-15m) of water, 1/2 mile off the west coast of Barbados. 26 POSTILLA [eae ee} SO FIG. 4. Spicules of Bubaris ammosclera n. sp.. YPM 7756. Holotype. A) Tylostyles. B) Contorted strongyles. SHAPE. A thin film, less than 0.5 mm in thickness, extending over coral and continued as a mat binding clumps of fine to coarse calcareous sediment. coLor. In life and in alcohol, dull white and translucent. NEW DEMOSPONGIAE FROM BARBADOS Pf CONSISTENCY. Soft, easily torn by forceps. Macintyre found the living sponge to be mucilaginous. SURFACE. Even, hispid. A few scattered, flush oscules are present, 0.5—2 mm in diameter. ECTOSOME. Many tylostyles pierce the surface. Dermal peels in- clude tangentially scattered tylostyles and a very few flexuous strongyles. Some peels contain a considerable amount of fine debris and a few foreign spicules. ENDOSOME, Some tylostyles are scattered in confusion, but many are implanted vertically by their bases on all sides of calcareous fragments. The strongyles, present in lesser numbers, are most frequent next to the debris. SPICULES. Tylostyles and flexuous strongyles (Fig. 4). Spicule measurements are listed in Table X. TABLE X. Bubaris ammosclera n. sp.—spicule Measurements (4). Spicule (La SS ee OO Sa Range Mean, SD Range Mean, SD YPM 7756 (Holotype ) Tylostyle 152-551 BASS — a shaft —— —_— 7.1-22.3 122 ==320 head —— ——— 9.4-22.3 13042357, Strongyle 116-273 (50) NSVSEZ5 2.4-5.9 4.0+0.4 YPM 7757 Tylostyle 116-583 275100 —_——— ——— shaft —_—— ——— 4.7-22.3 14.1+4.5 head — ——— Tele 2233 15.5+4.7 Strongyle 68-294 (50) 159+26 2.4-5.9 3.8+0.6 A-tylostyles, straight to slightly curved, with prominent rounded or slightly trilobed heads, shafts rather uniform over most of their length, and with gradually tapering points. Most of the smaller tylostyles are straight. Curvature, when present, is partic- 28 POSTILLA ularly pronounced near the basal end. Some spicules are bent sharply just below the head (a condition found in many species of the Bubaridae). The heads are infrequently small, with the spicules approaching the stylote condition, A very few spicules are inflated subterminally and then often eccentrically. In most the head diameter slightly exceeds maximum shaft width, but in some larger spicules the reverse is true. Maximum shaft diameter occurs in midlength or slightly toward the apical end. The points are usually sharp, but occasionally narrowed and rounded. B-strongyles, irregularly flexed, bent, or twisted, very uniform in diameter, with rounded, equally developed ends. The spicules range in form from elongate and only slightly irregular to gro- tesquely bent. The ends are always perfectly strongylote. DISCUSSION. Bubaris ammosclera can be distinguished from other species of the genus by its tylostylote megascleres. The only other tropical American species of Bubaris is B. mastophora (Schmidt, 1870) from Florida, which differs further from B. am- mosclera in having a lobate form and undulating oxeas. Specimens from the Azores attributed to B. mastophora by Topsent (1904) differ from the present material in having elongate strongyles with narrowed ends. The peculiar habitus of the Barbadian sponge has been re- corded for two other species of Bubaris. Topsent (1928) described Madeiran specimens of B. vermiculata (Bowerbank) as being “conglomérats faits de débris calcaires cimentés par l’eponge.” Dendy (1921) described B. salomonensis as “spreading over a mass of calcareous debris.” Hartman (identification in Lewis, 1965) recorded another Barbadian Bubaris from 50 meters. It differs from the present species in the form of both styles and diactinal spicules (personal communication and examination of his slides.) FAMILY SPIRASTRELLIDAE Ridley and Dendy SUBFAMILY TIMEINAE Topsent GENUS TIMEA Gray Timea stenosclera n. sp. (Figure 5) MATERIAL, YPM 7755 (holotype), on a small piece of coral. NEW DEMOSPONGIAE FROM BARBADOS 29 lOy FIG. 5. Spicules of Timea stenosclera n. sp., YPM 7755. Holotype. A) Tylostyle. B) Large oxyspheraster with spined rays. C) Small euaster (oxyspheraster). A: scale I. B, C: scale II. SHAPE. A small film-like encrustation, less than 0.5 mm in thick- ness. COLOR. Orange in life, grayish-brown in alcohol. CONSISTENCY. Difficult to determine, due to the extreme thinness of the specimen. SURFACE. Smooth, lipostomous (in life as well as in preservative), microtuberculate. ECTOSOME. There is little dermal specialization. The tylostyle bundles may project slightly. Euasters, abundant everywhere, are somewhat more frequent toward the surface. The singly scattered circular dermal pores are about 30 » in diameter. ENDOSOME. The interior is packed with euasters. Most of the tylostyles are grouped into loose clusters, with bases at various levels, and apices directed toward the surface. SPICULES. Tylostyles and euasters (Fig. 5). The ecuasters are divided incompletely into two forms, large oxyspherasters and small euasters, without any obvious localization. Spicule measure- ments are listed in Table XI. 30 POSTILLA TABLE XI. Timea stenosclera n. sp. —spicule measurements (“) of holotype. Spicule Gavensth; astendiamett = ah aN Range Mean, SD Range Mean, SD Tylostyle 173-252 21025 — shaft a aa 1.7-2.4 Dale 05S head ca a 3.5-4.7 3.60.2 Oxyspheraster = 11.8-25.9 (100) IO aera) ——o —-—— Euaster, small 4.7-11.8 (S0) D283 os 2 A-tylostyles, slender, straight, (but with the head rarely at an angle to the shaft), gradually pointed, with an elongate although inconspicuous neck. B-oxyspherasters, very abundant, with centrum diameter equal to or slightly less than ray length. The rays are thick (1.2-1.4 pu basally) usually conical, cccasionally truncate or strongylote, and often distally roughened or spined. C-euasters, oxy- to strongylospherastral in form, with a centrum diameter usually slightly less than ray length. The rays are very thin (0.7 » or less basally), straight, smooth, and cylindrical or slightly conical. A few spicules are intermediate between cate- gories B and C. In both categories, a very few spicules have a small, nearly inconspicuous centrum. DISCUSSION. The Barbadian specimen is characterized by its short slender tylostyles and thin-rayed smaller euasters. The only other species of Timea with small tylostyles is T. xena de Lauben- fels (1954b) from Hawaii, which differs from the present species in having only a single category of euasters. The generic position of the species requires explanation. Most species of the subfamily Timeinae have a spiculation of tylostyles and one or more categories of euasters. Species lacking peculiari- ties of external appearance or euastral form should be placed in Timea Gray (1876a). De Laubenfels (1936b) established Kotimea for species with spherasters, which occur in Timea steno- sclera, However, euastral form and the degree of centrum develop- ment vary within many species of the Timeinae, including 7. moorei (Carter, 1880), the type species of Kotimea. NEW DEMOSPONGIAE FROM BARBADOS 31 De Laubenfels (1936b, 1950) utilized Halicometes Topsent (1898) for species with two categories of euasters, as in Timea stenosclera. However, Halicometes is a member of the Stylocordy- lidae and cannot be utilized for species of the Timeinae. Halicometes was established tor Cometella stellata Schmidt (1870), which has a tuberculate body mounted on a stalk. Schmidt de- scribed the spicule complement as including anisostrongyles, spherasters, and long-rayed euasters. At a later date (1880) Schmidt, partly on the basis of new material, transferred the species to Tethya. He gave it a new name, Tethya cometes, and listed Cometella stellata as a synonym. Sollas (1888) corrected Schmidt’s nomenclature, calling the species Tethya (?)_ stellata. Topsent (1898) made C. stellata the type species of his new genus Halicometes. The genus, with a supposed spiculation of strongyles and spherasters, was placed in the family Stylocordy- lidae. In a later paper (1920), Topsent described two specimens that Schmidt had deposited in the Strasbourg Museum under the name Tethya cometes. One specimen has smooth surface tubercles and the other has hispid ones. The latter thus resembles Schmidt's illustration (1870) of Cometella stellata. Topsent described the spicule complement of the Strasbourg sponges as including large skeletal anisostrongyles, peripheral styles, exotyles (in the stalk), spherasters (with centrum development varied between speci- mens), and chiasters (with a similar variation in centrum devel- opment). Topsent transferred the genus to the Tethyidae, but the presence of a stalk suggests that his original familial place- ment is more probable. Lévi (1964, p. 72-73) also regards Halicometes as being closely related to Stylocordyla. Assuming the identity of Cometella stellata and Tethya cometes (as intended by Schmidt), the diagnosis of Halicometes must be based on Top- sent’s description, making it a peculiar, monotypic genus without close relation to Timea. The tropical Atlantic American fauna includes several species of Timea that resemble T. stenosclera in having two types of euaster. T. perastra (de Laubenfels, 1936b) from the Dry Tortu- vas. Florida, differs from the Barbadian species in having a cylin- drical form and a euastral complement of tylasters and small chiasters. T. parasitica (Higgin, 1877) from Grenada, West Indies, differs from the present material in having large (508 ») 32 POSTILLA subterminally inflated megascleres, and terminally spined chiasters as the smaller category of euaster. Encrusting sponges from Bermuda (de Laubenfels, 1950) and Florida (Little, 1963) were identified as Halicometes stellata (Schmidt). They represent a species of Timea, with two categories of euaster, similar to T. mixta (Topsent, 1896; also see Topsent, 1900) from the Mediterranean and Cape Verde Islands. They differ from 7. stenosclera in megasclere size, the absence of spina- tion on their large spherasters, and the thick-rayed spinous form of their small euasters. FAMILY PLACOSPONGIIDAE Gray GENUS PLACOSPONGIA Gray Placospongia melobesioides Gray, 1867b Vosmaer and Vernhout, 1902, p. 1-17. MATERIAL. YPM 7753, a small specimen on a coral fragment. The fragment was removed from a larger piece of rubble on which the holotype of Coelosphaera raphidifera (YPM 7745) was grow- ing. SHAPE. An encrustation, up to 3 mm in thickness, with an incipient projection, 7 mm high, at one edge. coLor. A dark brown cortex and yellowish endosome, in both the living and the preserved states. CONSISTENCY. A hard cortex and tough endosome. SURFACE. Covered by irregularly polygonal plates, up to 1 cm in span, with raised rims. ECTOSOME. The cortex reaches 1 mm in thickness, with a thin spherule-rich ectochrote covering a dense selenastral rind. ENDOSOME. The flesh is dense and fibrous, except for wide hori- zontal subcortical canals. Stout tylostyle bundles traverse the endosome, narrowing progressively, and penetrate the cortex. The bundles are 85-125 » in width at the point of penetration. The tylostyles are placed at various levels within the bundles, with apices directed toward the surface. Larger sized mega- scleres are restricted to the endosome. The endosomal micro- NEW DEMOSPONGIAE FROM BARBADOS 33 sclere complement consists of numerous selenasters (both mature and developmental forms) and spherules. Many of the spherules are in irregular clusters, as noted by Lindgren (1898) and Vos- maer and Vernhout (1902). SPICULES. Tylostyles, selenasters, and spherules. Spicule measure- ments are listed in Table XII. TABLE XII. Placospongia melobesioides Gray —spicule measurements (1) of YPM 7753: Spicule 7 Length; aster diameter © = Width >, Range Mean, SD Range Mean, SD Tylostyle 252-845 T= 97, —_—— ana shaft —_— —_——. 4.7-12.9 fed=ae8 head —_— ——— 5.9-14.1 10.4+1.6 Selenaster 40-63.5 5544.3 25.9-56.4 45.2+4.3 Spherule ZEN G7/ 1.4+0.2 —_—— — A-tylostyles, long, straight, gradually tapered, with conspicuous heads. The heads are usually rounded, sometimes oval, and infre- quently subterminal. A very few spicules have a slight neck con- striction. The apices, while narrow, are usually rounded. B-selenasters, elliptical, with a hilum and a granular surface. Selenasters develop in the endosome from entirely spined rods, 16-22 » in length. The intermediate stages are ovoid pincushions, about 2212 » (see also Vosmaer and Vernhout, 1902). C-spherules. D-spherasters, 12 and 13 ». Only two examples were found in spicule strews. DISCUSSION. P. melobesioides is a common Indo-Pacific species, recorded with some degree of certainty from tropical American waters only by Arndt (1927). Arndt’s somewhat aberrant speci- men had large spherules (6 ») and a few oval microscleres. De Laubenfels (1936b) tentatively attributed a specimen from the Dry Tortugas, Florida, to P. melobesioides. His fragmentary 34 POSTILLA material is unidentifiable since it lacks small microscleres (Little, 1963; Hechtel, 1965). Schmidt’s record from Florida (1870) can- not be verified for the same reason (Arndt, 1927; Hechtel, 1965; Sollas, 1888). ORDER CHORISTIDA Sollas FAMILY CHONDRILLIDAE Gray GENUS CHONDRILLA _ Schmidt Chondrilla nucula Schmidt, 1862 Hechtel, 1965, p. 74; Rutzler, 1965, p. 16 MATERIAL. YPM 7743, a specimen encrusting a Porites tragment, taken from Porites rubble. SHAPE. A flat encrustation, about 2 mm in thickness. coLor, Dark brown externally, in life and in alcohol. The interior is cream in life, and drab to gray in alcohol. CONSISTENCY. Tough. SURFACE. Smooth. The oscules are small, flush, and scattered. Their diameter in life does not exceed 0.5 mm. The oscules con- tract strongly upon removal from water, giving the surface a lipostomous appearance. ECTOSOME. A densely pigmented, richly spiculiferous region, about 100-160 » in thickness. Dermal peels are pierced by singly scattered circular openings, which may be dermal pores. The openings, 85-160 ,» apart, have diameters of 20-30 », and darkly pigmented rims about 10 » in thickness. In one peel, a larger, pos- sibly oscular opening is present, 10542 », with an aspiculous pigmented rim 30-105 » in span. ENDOSOME. The ectosomal concentration of spherasters gradually diminishes toward the interior. In deeper parts of the sponge spherasters are largely restricted to canal linings and the basal layer of the endosome. Considerable areas (up to 400 » in span) are devoid of spicules. Vertical canals, 30-135 » in diameter, are prominent in the upper 1/2~ 1/3 of the dense endosome. They divide into smaller canals, often obliquely placed, which run toward the base of the sponge. NEW DEMOSPONGIAE FROM BARBADOS 35 SPICULES. Spherasters, with a well-developed centrum and short conical rays, 14.1-37.6 » (mean 26.8 + 2.5 «) in overall dia- meter. Rays are 1.2—6 » in length. No long-rayed spherasters are present. DISCUSSION. The present specimen differs from Jamaican ones by the absence of long-rayed spherasters. However, ray length varies considerably within and between specimens of the species (Hechtel, 1965). LITERATURE CITED Arndt, Walther. 1927. Kalk-und Kieselschamme von Curacao. Bidr. Dierk. Amst. 25:133-158. Bergquist, P.R. 1965. The sponges of Micronesia. Part 1. The Palau Archipelago. Pacif. Sci. XIX (2): 123-204. Burton, Maurice. 1963. A revision of the classification of the calcareous sponges. Br. Mus. (Nat. Hist.), Lond. 693 p. Burton, Maurice and S. H. Rao. 1932. On the shallow-water marine sponges in the collection of the Indian Museum. Part 1. Rec. Indian Mus. XXXIV:299-356. Carter, H. J. 1871. On two undescribed sponges and two Esperiadae from the West Indies; also on the nomenclature of the calcisponge Clathrina Gray. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (4) 7:268-283. 1880. Report on specimens dredged up from the Gulf of Manaar and presented to the Liverpool Free Museum by Capt. W. H. Cawne Warren. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (5) 6:35-61, 129-156. ——— 1882. Some sponges from the West Indies and Acapulco in the Liverpool Free Museum described, with general and classificatory remarks. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (5) 9:266-301, 346-368. —_——— 1883a. New genus of sponges. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (5) 11:369-370. 1883b. Contributions to our knowledge of the Spongida. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (5) 12:308-329. De Laubenfels, M. W. 1934. New sponges from the Puerto Rican Deep. Smithson. Misc. Collns. 91(17):1-28. —_————. 1935. A collection of sponges from Puerto Galera, Mindoro, Philippine Islands. Philipp. J. Sci. 56(3):327-336. 1936a. A comparison of the shallow-water sponges near the Pacific end of the Panama Canal with those at the Caribbean end. Proc. U.S. Natn. Mus. 83:441-466. 1936b. A discussion of the sponge fauna of the Dry Tortugas in particular and the West Indies in general, with material for a revision of the families and orders of the Porifera. Pap. Tortugas Lab. XXX:1-225. 1949. Sponges of the western Bahamas. Am. Mus. Novit. 1431: 1-25. 1950. The Porifera of the Bermuda Archipelago. Trans. Zool. Soc. Lond. 27(1): 1-154. 36 POSTILLA 1954a. The sponges of the west-central Pacific. Ore. St. Monogr. Stud. Zool. 7: 1-306. — 1954b. Occurrence of sponges in an aquarium. Pacif. Sci. VIII (3 ):337-340. Dendy, Arthur. 1905. Report on the sponges collected by Prof. Herdman, at Ceylon, in 1902. Jn W. A. Herdman, Report to the government of Ceylon on the pearl oyster fisheries of the Gulf of Manaar, with supplementary reports upon the marine biology of Ceylon by other naturalists. Publ. Roy. Soc. Lond. Suppl. XVIII:57-246. ————— 1921. Report on the Sigmatotetraxonida collected by H.M.S. Sealark in the Indian Ocean. Trans. Linn. Soc. Lond. XVIII (1):1-164. Duchassaing de Fonbressin, P. and Giovanni Michelotti. 1864. Spongiaires de la mer caraibe. Natuurk. Verh. Mij. Haarlem XXII: 1-124. Ekman, Sven. 1953. Zoogeography of the sea. Sidgwick and Jackson, London. 417 p. Gray, J. E. 1867a. Notes on the arrangement of sponges, with the descrip- tion of some new genera. Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1867:492-558. 1867b. On Placospongia, a new generic form of Spongiadae, in the British Museum. Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1867:127-129. Hartman, W. D. 1965. Identifications in J. B. Lewis, The coral reefs and coral communities of Barbados, West Indies. Can. J. Zool. 38: 1133-1145. 1967. Revision of Neofibularia (Porifera, Demospongiae), a genus of toxic sponges from the West Indies and Australia. Postilla 113:1-41. Hechtel, G. J. 1965. A systematic study of the Demospongiae of Port Royal, Jamaica. Bull. Peabody Mus. Nat. Hist., Yale Univ., 20: 1-103. Higgin, Thomas. 1877. Description of some sponges obtained during a cruise of the steam-yacht “Argo” in the Caribbean and neighbouring seas. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. (4) 19:291-299. Kieschnick, O. 1898. Kieselschwamme von Amboina. /n R. Semon, Zoologische forschungsreisen in Australien und dem Malayischen Archipel. V:545-582. Gustav Fisher, Jena. Lamarck, J. B. 1813. Sur les polypiers empatés. Annls. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris XX:294-312, 370-386, 432-458. 1815. Suite des polypiers empatés. Mém. Mus. Hist. Nat. Paris 1:69-80, 162-168, 331-340. (not seen). 1836. Histoire naturelle des animaux sans vertebres. Deuxieme éd., (edited by G. Deshayes and H. Milne-Edwards). J. Bailliere, Paris. 11 vols. Lewis, J. B. 1960. The coral reefs and coral communities of Barbados, West Indies. Can. J. Zool. 38:1133-1145. 1965. A preliminary description of some marine benthic com- munities from Barbados, West Indies. Can. J. Zool. 43: 1049-1074. Lévi, Claude. 1956. Etude des Haliscara de Roscoff. Embryologie et sys- tématique des Démosponges. Archs. Zool. Exp. Gén. 93(1):1-181. 1958. Spongiaires de mer Rouge recuellis par la Calypso (1951-1952). Résult. Scient. Camp. “Calypso” 3:1-46. 196la. Les Spongiaires de L’Ile Aldabra. Résult. Scient. Camp. “Calypso” 5:3-32. NEW DEMOSPONGIAE FROM BARBADOS 37 1961b. Eponges intercoditales de Nha Trang (Viet Nam). Archs. Zool. Exp. Gén. 100(2):127-148. ————— 1964. Spongiares des zones bathyale, abyssale, et hadale. Galathea Rep. 7:63-112. Lindgren, N. G. 1898. Beitrag zur Kenntniss der Spongienfauna des Malayischen Archipels und der chinesischen Meere. Zool. Jb., (Abt. Syst.) XI:283-378. Little, F. J. 1963. The sponge fauna of the St. George’s Sound, Apalachee Bay, and Panama City regions of the Florida Gulf Coast. Tulane Stud. Zool. 11:31-71. Priest, B. W. 1881. On an undescribed sponge of the genus Polymastia, from Honduras. J. Quekett Microsc. Club VI:302-304. Ridley, S. O. and Arthur Dendy. 1887. Report on the Monaxonida col- lected by H.M.S. Challenger during the years 1873-1876. Rep. Chal- lenger, Zool. XX:1-275. Ritzler, Klaus. 1965. Systematik und Oekologie der Poriferen aus Litoral- Schattengebieten der Nordadria. Z. Morph. Oekol. Tiere 55: 1-82. Schmidt, E. O. 1870. Grundziige einer Spongien-Fauna des Atlantischen gebietes. Leipzig. 88 p. — 1879. Die Spongien des Meerbusen von Mexico. I. p. 1-32. Gustav Fisher, Jena. 1880. Die Spongien des Meerbusen von Mexico (und des Caraibischen Meeres). II. p. 33-90. Gustav Fisher, Jena. Sollas, W. J. 1888. Report on the Tetractinellida collected by H.M.S. Challenger, during the years 1873-1876. Rep. Challenger, Zool XXV: 1-458. Stutchbury, S. 1842. Description of a new sponge from Barbadoes. Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. [X:504-506. Topsent, Emile. 1894. Une réforme dans la classification des Halichondrina. Mém. Soc. Zool. Fr. VII:5-26. 1896. Matériaux pour servir 4 l’étude de Ja faune des spong- iaires de France. Mém. Soc. Zool. Fr. 1X:113-133. 1897. Spongiares de la Baie d’Amboine. Revue Suisse Zool. IV:421-487. — 1898. Introduction a l’étude monographique des Monaxonides de France. Classification des Hadromerina. Archs. Zool. Exp. Gén. (3) VI:91-113. 1900. Etude monographique des spongiares de France. III. Monaxonida. (Hadromerina). Archs. Zool. Exp. Gén. (3) VIIE: 1-331. 1904. Spongiares des Acores. Résult. Camp. Scient. Prince Albert 1 XXV:1-280. 1920. Spongiares du Musée zoologique de Strasbourg. Mon- axonides. Bull. Inst. Océanogr. Monaco. 381: 1-36. —_—_—_——_ 1928. Spongiares de L’Atlantique et de la Méditerranée prov- enant des croisiéres du Prince Albert 1°" de Monaco. Résult. Camp. Scient. Prince Albert 1 LXXIV: 1-376. 1930. Eponges de Lamarck conservées au Muséum de Paris. Archs. Mus. Natn. Hist. Nat., Paris (6)5:1-56. —______ 1933. Eponges de Lamarck conservées au Muséum de Paris. 3. Archs. Mus. Natn. Hist. Nat., Paris (6) 10:1-60. 38 POSTILLA Uliczka, E. 1929. Die tetraxonen Schwimme westindiens. Jn W. Kukenthal and R. Hartmeyer, Ergebnisse einer zoologischen forschungsreise nach West Indien. Zool. Jb., Suppl. 16:35-62. Vosmaer, G. C. and J. Vernhout. 1902. The Porifera of the Siboga- Expeditie. Siboga Exped. VIA:1-17. Warburton, F. E. 1960. Influence of currents on form of sponges. Science, New York, 132:89. Weltner, W. 1882. Beitrage zur Kenntniss der Spongien. Freiburg. 62 p. (not seen). Wilson, H. V. 1902. The sponges collected in Porto Rico in 1899 by the U.S. Fish. Comm. Steamer Fish Hawk. Bull. U.S. Fish. Comm. 1900, 20(2):377-410. REVIEW STYLE FORM Tne ABSTRACT OMENCLATURE -_LUSTRATIONS ee FOOTNOTES ee TABLES REFERENCES if f . 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