Sponges of the Guyana Shelf
Author
Van, Rob W. M.
text
Zootaxa
2017
1
1
225
journal article
10.5281/zenodo.272951
e2c88f4c-3ac2-45f9-95e4-99b75561a081
1175-5326
272951
6D68A019-6F63-4AA4-A8B3-92D351F1F69B
Aplysina caissara
Pinheiro & Hajdu, 2001
Figures 5
a–b
Aplysina caissara
Pinheiro & Hajdu, 2001
: 145
, figs 1–2, 4–6;
Pinheiro
et al.
2007
: 3
, figs 1A, 2, 3A (with further synonyms).
FIGURE 5.
Aplysina caissara
Pinheiro & Hajdu, 2001
, RMNH Por. 9340, a, habitus (scale bar = 1 cm), b, light microscopic image of skeleton of pithed fibers.
Material
examined.
RMNH
Por. 9340, French
Guyana
, ‘Luymes’
Guyana
Shelf Expedition, station 14,
6.7333°N
52.75°W
, depth
76 m
, bottom muddy calcareous sand,
26 August 1970
.
Description.
A short tubular branch (
Fig. 5
a) of
9 x
2–3 cm
diameter. The surface is finely conulose. The apical oscule has an iris-type diaphragm and is
5 mm
in diameter. Color in alcohol is dark pink. Consistency compressible.
Skeleton.
(
Fig. 5
b) A three-dimensional reticulation of rounded or elongately polygonal meshes made by amber colored fibers, of 70–130 µm diameter. The fibers have a vaguely striated bark and a pith occupying about 1/ 3 of the fiber thickness.
Distribution and ecology.
Guyana
Shelf (if correctly identied),
Eastern
Brazil
, from
2–76 m
depth (previously down to
12 m
).
Remarks.
The descriptions by
Pinheiro & Hajdu (2001)
and
Pinheiro
et al.
(2007)
match the present specimen closely, but the depth from where it was obtained and the distance from the
type
locality throw some doubt on the identification.