New sciophilous sponges from the Caribbean (Porifera: Demospongiae) Author Van, Rob W. M. text Zootaxa 2009 2107 1 40 journal article 10.5281/zenodo.187789 6593e89a-9c63-4584-9a5f-f70993e32d31 1175-5326 187789 Crella (Grayella) beglingerae n. sp. ( Figs 12 A–C) Holotype . ZMA Por. 21073, Netherlands Antilles , Bonaire , Red Slave, 12.034°N - 68.259°W , under rubble, 5 m , 01-08-1987 , coll. R. Pennartz, #R10810R. FIGURE 12 . Crella (Grayella) beglingerae n. sp. , SEM images of spicules (Holotype ZMA Por. 21073). A–B. Polytylote strongylotornote and details of apices and middle part; C. Acanthoxea. Paratypes . ZMA Por. 21075, Bonaire , Karpata, 12.222°N - 68.351°W , under rubble, 5 m , 17-07-1987 , coll. G.J. Roebers, # K1G.16-03, 155; ZMA Por. 21074, Bonaire , Red Slave, 12.034°N - 68.259°W , under rubble, 5 m , 1987, coll. G.J. Roebers, # G03.06; ZMA Por. 0 5404, Curaçao , Buoy 1, 12.125°N - 68.976°W , under rubble, 14 m , 25-V-1984 , coll. J.H. Stock & J.J. Vermeulen. Additonal material (not belonging to the type series). ZMA Por. 16879, Curaçao , near Carmabi, 12.124°N - 68.975°W , reef caves, 10-2001, coll. S. Scheffers #17; Bonaire , Punt Vierkant, 12.116°N - 68.295°W , under rubble, 5 m , 1987, G.J. Roebers & R. Pennartz; Curaçao , Anna Baai, 12.108°N - 68.946°W , under rubble, 5 m , coll. E. Meesters & P. Willemsen #A24-5. Description . Thinly encrusting, under coral rubble, surrounding Homotrema specimens; smooth surface, easy to peel off; soft consistency. Size of holotype approx. 1 x 1.5 x 0.1 cm . Transparent pale yellow color. Skeleton . Surface provided with moderately dense complement of slightly raised areolae, each approx. 1.5 mm in diameter, spaced out approx. 1 mm . The sides of the areolae are supported by bundles of 3–5 tornotes at regular distances of approx. 30 µm. Surface between the areolae densely crowded by intercrossing acanthoxeas arranged in a single layer. Spicules . Tornotes and acanthoxeas. Tornotes ( Fig. 12 A–B) smooth, faintly polytylote ( Fig. 10 B), usually rounded but occasionally bluntly oxeote or abruptly pointed, equal ended, 201- 257.3 -294 x 2 - 3.1 -4 µm. Acanthoxeas ( Fig. 12 C), thinly fusiform, approx. symmetrical, little variation in shape and size, enirely spined, straight, 66- 87.2 - 97 x 1.5- 2.3 -3 µm. Ecology . Under coral stones and in caves. So far known only from shallow-water reefs ( 5–14 m ) on Bonaire and Curaçao . Etymology . Named for Elly Beglinger, manager of the Porifera collection of the Zoological Museum of the University of Amsterdam. Remarks . The subgenus Grayella is so far represented in the Central West Atlantic by C. (G.) spinosa ( Hechtel, 1983 as Crelloxea ) from Brazil . This species has large fusiform oxeote tornotes (up to 400 x 24 µm) quite unlike the thin tornotes of the present new species. The ectosomal spicules are a mix of acanthoxeas and acanthostrongyles, longer and thicker than those of C. (G.) beglingerae n. sp. The new species resembles Red Sea C.(G.)cyathophora ( Carter, 1869 ) in spiculation, but this is an elaborate open reef species, unlike C. (G.) beglingerae n. sp. . Two further Crella species, both possessing chelae unlike our new species, are known from the Caribbean region, Crella (Crella) papillosa ( Schmidt, 1870 as Cribrella ) from Florida and Crella (Pytheas) chelifera van Soest, 1984 from Barbados , both from much deeper habitats.