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 Haliclona (Haliclona) epiphytica Zea & De Weerdt, 1999 Figures 17 a–d Haliclona (Haliclona) epiphytica Zea & De Weerdt, 1999 : 172 , figs 1–2; De Weerdt 2000 : 15 , figs 3V , 4A–D. Material examined. RMNH Por. 9770, Guyana , ‘Luymes’ Guyana Shelf Expedition, station 95, 6.9°N 57.5°W , depth 23–24 m , mixed hard bottom, 3 September 1970 . Description. A mass of creeping encrusting branches ( Fig. 17 a) consisting of a series of connected lobes, each provided with an oscule. Size of the mass of branches about 6 x 4 cm , thickness of individual branches 3–5 mm , lobes up to 8 mm high, oscules 2–3 mm in diameter. At several places there are creeping tendrils. Surface optically smooth. Color (in alcohol) pale beige. Consistency soft. Skeleton. The ectosomal reticulation ( Fig. 17 b) is triangular to polygonal. At the nodes there are often protruding spicules. The choanosomal skeleton ( Fig. 17 c) is uni- to paucispicular, with occasional thicker (4–5 spicules) meandering spicule tracts. Spicules . Oxeas only. Oxeas ( Fig. 17 d), curved, short and fat, with sharp points, 76– 83 – 91 x 3.5– 4.9 –6 µm. Distribution and ecology. Guyana Shelf, Colombian Caribbean, shallow-water down to 24 m ( holotype 1 m ). Remarks. The Guyana specimen is not growing on seaweeds like the type , but in most other aspects the similarity is convincingly large. No other species in De Weerdt’s (2000) monograph of the Caribbean Chalinidae shows the same match.