A review of Ancorina, Stryphnus, and Ecionemia (Demospongiae, Astrophorida, Ancorinidae), with descriptions of new species from New Zealand waters

• Published in: Zootaxa
• Main Authors: KELLY, MICHELLE, SIM-SMITH, CARINA
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Mangolia Press 2012
• Subjects: Porifera; North Cape; Great Barrier Island; Chatham Rise; Three Kings Islands; New Zealand; Barrier Island; Campbell Rise
• Online Access: https://www.mapress.com/j/zt/article/view/zootaxa.3480.1.1; https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3480.1.1

New collections of New Zealand ancorinid sponges with sanidasters, regular and sanidaster-like microrhabds, andamphiaster-like microscleres, has prompted us to review the integrity of ancorinid genera Ancorina Schmidt, EcionemiaBowerbank, and Stryphnus Sollas (Demospongiae, Astrophorida, Ancorinidae). The varietal name in Ancorina progressa(von Lendenfeld 1907) var. diplococcus Dendy, 1924 has been elevated to full species status, and A. stalagmoides (Dendy,1924) has been redescribed. Two new species, A. bellae sp. nov., from the Three Kings Islands, and A. globosa sp. nov.,from Campbell Rise, have been described. Two New Zealand species previously assigned to Ancorina by Dendy (1924)have been transferred to Ecionemia: E. alata (Dendy 1924) and E. novaezelandiae (Dendy 1924). The genus Stryphnus isrecorded for the first time in New Zealand waters, and 6 new species are described here; S. poculum sp. nov., S. levis sp.nov., S. novaezealandiae sp. nov., S. spelunca sp. nov., and S. atypicus sp. nov. Specimens identified as Asteropus simplex(Carter 1879) by Dendy (1924) and Bergquist (1968), a genus without triaenes, have been transferred to Stryphnus and renamed as S. ariena sp. nov., as all specimens contained rare triaenes.