Nodastrella nodastrella Topsent

• Main Authors: Dohrmann, Martin, Göcke, Christian, Reed, John, Janussen, Dorte
• Format: Other/Unknown Material
• Language: unknown
• Published: Zenodo 2012
• Subjects: Biodiversity; Taxonomy; Animalia; Porifera; Hexactinellida; Lyssacinosida; Rossellidae; Nodastrella; Nodastrella nodastrella; San Miguel; Lophelia pertusa
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5691000; http://treatment.plazi.org/id/03F487E53006E41FFF4C26B7FDC3FDCD

Nodastrella nodastrella (Topsent) Synonymy : Rossella nodastrella (Topsent 1915: 1, Figs. 1–5; Topsent 1928: 76, Pl. III Fig. 22, Pl. IV Fig. 3). Material examined : The holotype (MOM-INV-21666 (04 1353)) described by Topsent (1915) from the Azores, collected by S.A.S. le Prince de Monaco, off San Miguel, St. 3140, on August 18, 1911, depth 1378 m. One specimen (HBOI 7-VIII-09 -1-002, USNM 1150046, SMF 11754) from deep-water Lophelia coral reefs off Cape Canaveral, Florida, lat. 28°47.621 N, long. 79°37.430 W, depth 759 m, collected August 07, 2009 using manned submersible Johnson-Sea-Link II . Description : The holotype is a small (probably juvenile) specimen, 3.5 cm high and 2 cm max. width with a deep central osculum. The specimen from Florida, USNM 1150046, is 24.5 cm high, the body is vase-shaped with the osculum (ca. 15 cm wide) having outward-flaring margins (Fig. 1). Whereas the dermal surface of the holotype shows a few diactine prostalia, the USNM specimen is smooth. The USNM specimen is white to greyish and is attached to a scleractinian coral ( Lophelia pertusa L.); the holotype is also basiphytous and attached to the skeleton of another hexactinellid sponge, Hertwigia falcifera Schmidt (Topsent 1915). Skeleton (Figs. 1–2, Table 1): Dermal skeleton is a web of microspined stauractins (occasionally with rudimentary tubercle of fifth ray), some tauactins with or without rudimentary fourth ray, some diactins with or without rudimentary third and fourth rays, and very rarely isolated pentactins; the web covers the paratangential rays of large, smooth (except for slightly rugose ray tips), orthotropal hypodermal pentactins. Atrial skeleton is a web of hexactins and pentactins, combined with some stauractins and rare tauactins. Choanosomalia are chiefly diactins varying in size from few mm to several cm, with rounded to pointed microspined or smooth tips, sometimes with one end swollen. The smaller diactins are commonly centrotylote; in the holotype some smaller diactins protrude as prostalia beyond the ...