Raspailia (Raspaxilla) bouryesnaultae, a new name for Brazilian Raspaxilla elegans Boury­Esnault, 1973 (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida, Raspailiidae) with a redescription and a new record Author Lerner, Cléa Author Carraro, João L. Author Soest, Rob Van text Zootaxa 2006 1129 37 45 journal article 10.5281/zenodo.171860 e99b3d1d-50b0-484e-9ad7-b8645a73cb21 1175­5326 171860 Raspailia (Raspaxilla) bouryesnaultae n.n. Raspaxilla elegans Boury­Esnault, 1973 : Campagne de la Calypso au large des côtes atlantiques de l’Amérique du Sud ( 1961–1962 ). I, 29. Spongiaires. Rés. sci. Camp. Calypso 10: 278, fig.29; pl.II, 4 (not Raspailia elegans Lendenfeld, 1887 as Anthorochalina , cf. Hooper & Wiedenmayer,1994 ) Remark. We tried unsuccessfully to contact the present curator of MNHN, Paris, in order to examine the holotype . The presence of a slide from the holotype (previously obtained through the courtesy of Prof. Lévi, now retired) in ZMA allows the comparison between our material and that described by Boury­Esnault (1973) . Studied material. Brazil , Santa Catarina state: Coral Island. ( 27°56’00’’S 48°32’30’’W ), 12m depth, 08/III/2001 , MCNPOR 5058, coll. C. Lerner Slide from Holotype of Raspaxilla elegans sensu Boury­Esnault,1973 . Brazil , Rio de Janeiro: MNHN D.NBE 1032 [ZMA Por. 17585]. FIGURE 1. Map of Coral Island, Santa Catarina State coast, Brazil showing the collecting area. Description of studied material (figs. 2–3). Arborescent growth form with secondary smaller ramifications arising from larger main branches. The main branches measures 5.5– 9.7 cm in length. The structure of the sponge is supported by a small peduncle that measures 2.2 cm diameter. Surface hispid, velvety. Consistency firm and flexible. Bright yellow colour in situ and dark orange in alcohol. Skeleton (figs. 4–5). Axial plumo­reticulated skeleton made by styles. Axial bundles go from basal region towards the apex of each ramification of sponge body and protrude outwards. Extra­axial skeleton plumo­reticulated and complemented by the presence of bundles of anisoxeas in the ectosome. Acanthose rhabdostyles echinating bundles of styles and distributed through peripheral skeleton. Spicules (figs. 6–10; tab.I). Megascleres are long, smooth and curved styles in a single category. Auxiliary megascleres are short acanthose rhabdostyles and thin anisoxeas; the latter restricted to the ectosomal region.

Distribution. From 22º12’S/40º59’W	to	27°56’S/48°32’W	in southeastern Brazil. A
presumably third record of this species	is	from the coast of	Sao Paulo State (Hajdu,
unverified internet record).

FIGURES 2–3. Raspailia (Raspaxilla) bouryesnaultae n.n. (MCNPOR 5058). 2. Underwater photography. Scale bar=2 cm; 3. Photography of preserved material. Scale bar=2 cm. FIGURES 4–10. Raspailia (Raspaxilla) bouryesnaultae n.n. (MCNPOR 5058). 4. Detail of the extra­axial skeleton. Scale bar=150 m; 5. Longitudinal section of the plumo­reticulate axial skeleton. Scale bar=500 m; 6. Morphological variation of styles. Scale bar=100 m; 7. Morphological variation of acanthose rhabdostyles. Scale bar=10 m; 8. Echinating acanthose rhabdostyle. Scale bar= 50 m; 9. Anisoxea. Scale bar=50 m; 10. Anisoxeas (small spicules) and styles (big spicules). Scale bar=100 m. TABLE I. Spicular micrometric data for specimens of Raspailia (Raspaxilla) bouryesnaultae n.n. Measurements are given as ranges of length / width (MNHN D.NBE 1032) (N=25), or as smallest length­mean length­largest length/smallest width­mean width­largest width (MCNPOR5058) (N=100), all in micrometers.