Diversity of Porifera in the Mediterranean coralligenous accretions, with description of a new species Author Bertolino, Marco Author Cerrano, Carlo Author Bavestrello, Giorgio Author Carella, Mirco Author Pansini, Maurizio Author Calcinai, Barbara text ZooKeys 2013 336 1 37 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.336.5139 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.336.5139 1313-2970-336-1 Forcepia (Leptolabis) brunnea (Topsent, 1904) Figs 10 A-F Leptolabis forcipula var. brunnea Topsent, 1904: 182. Leptolabis brunnea Topsent, 1928: 278. Material examined. Specimen PdF-NE-BL2A-sp15-sciaf.; alcohol preserved, Portofino Promontory (Punta del Faro, station 4) 44°17'55.61"N , 9°13'07.95"E , 40 m depth, collected on 27-08-2009; specimen IG-S-BL3-sp13-sciaf.; alcohol preserved, Gallinara Island (station 3, Sciusciau ) 44°01'34"N , 8°13'45" E , depth 30 m, collected on 17-06-2009; specimen PdF-BL8-sp50-sciaf.; alcohol preserved, Portofino Promontory (Punta del Faro, station 4) 44°17'55.61"N , 9°13'07.95"E , 30 m depth, collected on 25-01-2013. Description. Thin, smallencrusting sponges (up to 0.5 cm2) on the surface of coralligenous blocks. Colour in life yellow-orange. Skeleton. Basal acanthostyles erect on the substrate in a hymedesmioid arrangement. Other spicule types not detectable from the skeleton. Spicules. Megascleres: anisotylotes straight or faintly curved, with slightly different extremities and a few malformations along the shaft (Fig. 10A), 127.5 (157.7) 280.5 x 1.25 (2.3) 2.5 μm ; acanthostyles straight, conical with discrete but not swollen heads. Spines evenly distributed, slightly stouter on the spicule head (Fig. 10B), 61.2 (92.2) 142.8 x 5.2 (7.5) 10.4 μm . Microscleres: acanthose symmetric forceps with straight legs, ending in small, button-like swellings with toothed margin (Fig. 10C). They measure 12.5 (15.8) 17.5 x 2.5 μm in length, the distance between the legs being 5.2 (7.2) 7.5 μm . Acanthose asymmetric forceps, very thin, have unequal legs (Fig. 10D), the longer of which is straight or curved inward, 20.4 (22.3) 25 x 1.5 μm . Sigmas in two size categories: the larger ones, "C" shaped (Fig. 10E) or more rarely "S" shaped, 40.8 (64.3) 80 x 2.5 μm are very abundant, the smaller, 17.5-25.5 μm are rare. Palmate isochelae (Fig. 10F), 18 (20) 20.8 μm long. Figure 10. Forcepia (Leptolabis) brunnea . A Anisotylotes B Acanthostyles C Symmetric forceps D Asymmetric forceps E Large and small sigmas F Isochelae. Distribution and discussion. Topsent (1904) describes three species of Leptolabis from the Azores: Leptolabis forcipula var. brunnea, Leptolabis arcuata and Leptolabis assimilis . The same author in 1928 states that the former three species actually belong to a single species: Leptolabis brunnea which showsa high variability in the large forceps shape. Leptolabis brunnea was afterwards recorded from the Far-Oer Islands, the Azores, Spain (NW coast, Strait of Gibaltar, Castellon , Girona), France (Marseille, Monaco), Italy (Gulf of Naples), between 4 and 1360 m depth. It lives in caves, detritic bottoms, coralligenous concretions and epibiotic on other organisms ( Topsent 1904 , 1928 , Sara 1960 , Pouliquen 1972 , Carballo 1994 , Cristobo 1996 ). This is the second finding for the Italian seas and a new finding for the Ligurian Sea.