New records of demosponges (Porifera) from the South Orkney Islands (Antarctica) with a checklist for the region Author Schejter, Laura Author Cristobo, Javier Author Ríos, Pilar text Zootaxa 2024 2024-01-23 5403 4 401 430 http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5403.4.1 journal article 10.11646/zootaxa.5403.4.1 1175-5326 10562154 C2EAB19C-07CB-4013-9C93-D25259EA2673 Haliclona (Gellius) cf. cucurbitiformis ( Kirkpatrick, 1907 ) ( Figure 11j–p ) Restricted synonymy: Gellius cucurbitiformis Kirkpatrick, 1907 , Adocia cucurbitiformis ( Kirkpatrick, 1907 ) . Material examined: 1 specimen collected at station 1 ( SOI ; 60°28'S , 46°29'W ; 139 m ; 19/2/2014 ; MACN-In 44364; IEO-CSIC Col.) . Description: The specimen is massive, friable, beige, with an irregular surface ( Figure 11j ). The skeleton consisted of axial parallel ascending fibres interconnected by secondary fibres or spicules in a subquadrangular mesh, ( Figure 11m –p ). The ectosome is a detachable crust, evident in several parts of our specimen. Spicules are oxeas 330–400 µm by 10 µm and sparse thin C-sigmata of 30–40 µm by 1–2 µm ( Figure 11k–l ). Remarks: This is an uncommon species, only recorded by Kirkpatrick (1907) , Desqueyroux (1975) , Vacelet & Arnaud (1972) and Burton (1932) (this last publication with no description). The studied specimen presented oxeas and sigmas in a similar size range to those described by Kirkpatrick (1907) and Desqueyroux (1975) , but the general morphology of the specimen is massive and different from those previously described. In this sense, we prefer to keep the “cf.” (conferre). The specimens described by Vacelet & Arnaud (1972) presented a larger size of spicules than the present specimen.