Sponges of the Guyana Shelf
Author
Van, Rob W. M.
text
Zootaxa
2017
1
1
225
journal article
37320
10.5281/zenodo.272951
e2c88f4c-3ac2-45f9-95e4-99b75561a081
1175-5326
272951
6D68A019-6F63-4AA4-A8B3-92D351F1F69B
Crella (Pytheas) chelifera
Van Soest, 1984
Figures 85
a–f
FIGURE 85.
Crella (Pytheas) chelifera
Van Soest, 1984
, a, light microscopic image of surface skeleton, b–f, SEM images of spicules, b, long acanthostyle, b1, detail of b, c, short acanthostyle, d, tornote, d1, details of d, e, acanthoxea, f, arcuate isochela.
Crella chelifera
Van Soest, 1984: 77
, text-fig. 28; Van Soest & Stentoft 1988: 122.
Material
examined.
RMNH
Por. 10544,
Suriname
, ‘
Snellius O.C.P.S.
’
Guyana
Shelf Expedition, station B23A,
7.297°N
55.3883°W
, depth
99–101 m
,
Van Veen
grab,
27 April 1966
.
Description.
Small patches on dead bryozoans, together only a few mm
2 in
size. Surface smooth, no openings were observed. Color (alcohol) whitish.
Skeleton.
Ectosomal tangential skeleton (
Fig. 85
a) of tightly packed acanthoxeas, carried by bundles of tornotes, towards the substratum replaced by long acanthostyles. Bundles echinated by small acanthostyles. Chelae scattered in the interior and occasionally occurring in the surface crust.
Spicules.
(
Figs 85
b–f) Acanthostyles, tornotes, acanthoxeas, isochelae.
Acanthostyles, in two size classes, (1) long, (
Figs 85
b,b1) straight, spined heavily in the upper part, but more lightly towards the pointed end, 243–
277
–330
x 9
–
10.8
–13 µm, and (2) short (
Fig. 85
c), stubby, spined all over, 72–
95
–111 x 6.5–
8.2
–9 µm.
Tornotes (
Figs 85
d,d1), smooth, slightly different endings on opposite sides, faintly polytylote, 236–
291
–327 x 4.5–
5.7
–7.5 µm.
Acanthoxeas (
Fig. 85
e), straight or slightly curved, heavily and uniformly spined, 112–
137
–159
x 5
–
7.4
–9 µm.
Arcuate isochelae (
Fig. 85
f), rather narrow, with slightly incurved alae, 28–
30.9
–35 µm.
Distribution and ecology.
Guyana
Shelf,
Barbados
, on muddy sand at
90–101 m
depth.
Remarks.
There are a few small differences between the description of the
type
from
Barbados
and the present specimen (megascleres are somewhat thinner in the
type
, chelae are smaller, 19–24 µm), but overall similarity is great and conspecificity obvious.