Abstract
Two new species in the genus Agelas, family Agelasidae, A. nakamurai and A. nemoechinata, are here described. The former species has longer spicules than those of other members of the genus and has secondary fibers which are irregularly reticulated; in the latter, the fibers are only slightly echinated. The genus has hitherto been diagnosed as having the acanthostyles verticillately spined and the fibers cored with no spicules. From the observations on the two species treated in this paper, the diagnosis for the genus is emended that the fibers are cored, or occasionally not cored, with spicules, and that are echinated or occasionally not echinated. The position of this problematic monogeneric family Agelasidae should be in the order Axinellida (subclass Tetractinomorpha). The genus is distributed from tropical to subtropical areas, and may be found in certain temperate areas as well.
