Haliclona (Flagellia) flagellifera Van Soest 2017, subgen. et comb. nov.

• Main Author: Van Soest, Rob W. M.
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Porifera; Demospongiae; Haplosclerida; Chalinidae; Haliclona; Haliclona flagellifera; Marion Island; Prince Edward Islands
• Online Access: https://zenodo.org/record/3851968; https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.3851968

Haliclona (Flagellia) flagellifera (Ridley & Dendy, 1886) subgen. et comb. nov. Fig. 11 Gellius flagellifer Ridley & Dendy, 1886: 323. Gellius flagellifer – Ridley & Dendy 1887: 42, pl. XIII figs 5, 10. Material examined MARION ISLAND: small dry fragment of holotype, Marine Ecoregion Prince Edward Islands, depth 90–135 m (BMNH 1887.5.2.252). Description Shape (from Ridley & Dendy 1887): two small, massive encrustations, largest is 2.9 cm in lateral expansion, 1.6 cm thick, color pale greyish (in alcohol). A single oscule. Surface shaggy. Consistency soft, brittle. SKELETON. Haliclona -like, confuse, anisotropic, with primary lines consisting of 1–4 spicules, single spicules interconnecting at all angles, but mostly rectangular, no spongin visible. No special ectosomal arrangement of skeleton and spicules. OXEAS (Fig. 11 A–A1). Slightly curved, fat, cigar-shaped, gradually pointed, 340– 389. 1 –420 × 8– 15. 1 – 18 μm. FLAGELLOSIGMAS (Fig. 11 B–E). Elongated, elliptical, larger strongly asymmetrical, smaller less so and less elliptical, more ovoid. Curvature of long ending shortly rounded, no upturned hook, curvature of short ending shallow, in a wide size range, suggesting two overlapping size categories but subtly distinguishable by shape. Larger (I) (Fig. 11 B–C) with length of long ending 82– 96. 2 –102 μm, length of short ending 50– 60. 6 –75 μm, width 50– 60. 2 –73 μm, thickness 2.5– 2. 8 –3 μm. Smaller (II) (Fig. 11 D– E) with length of long ending 45– 54. 6 –66 μm, length of short ending 33– 39. 8 –48 μm, width 33– 41. 5 – 46 μm, thickness 1– 1. 7 –2 μm. NORMAL SIGMAS (Fig. 11F). A single size category, tips slightly incurved, 31– 39. 6 –53 × 1.5– 2. 2 –2.5 μm. Remarks Although cosmopolitan distribution is unlikely to occur in sponge species with a depth range limited largely to continental and upper bathyal waters, it is still possible that the present species from an oceanic island could have been capable of covering large distances. Thus, the reported occurrence of H. (F.) flagellifera ...