Chondrosia collectrix (Schmidt, 1870)

Figures 4 a–b

Cellulophana collectrix Schmidt, 1870: 25 .

Chondrosia collectrix; De Laubenfels 1936: 183, pl. 20 fig. 1; De Laubenfels 1950: 135, fig. 60; Wiedenmayer 1977: 189, pl. 42 fig. 7; Alcolado 1980: 6; Van Soest 1981: 7; Rützler 1986: 125, pl. 5; Pulitzer-Finali 1986: 99; Rützler et al. 2000: 234; Moraes 2011: 106, with several unnumbered figs; Muricy et al. 2011: 52 (with additional Brazilian records). Chondrilla reniformis; Wiedenmayer 1977: 188, pl. 42 figs 3–6; Pulitzer-Finali 1986: 100 (Not: Schmidt 1862).

Material examined. RMNH. Por. 9338, French Guyana, ‘Luymes’ Guyana Shelf Expedition, station 14, 6.7333°N 52.75°W, depth 76 m, bottom muddy calcareous sand, 26 August 1970; RMNH Por. 9933, Guyana, ‘Luymes’ Guyana Shelf Expedition, station 63, 7.5833°N 57.0667°W, depth 71 m, sandy bottom, 31 August 1970; RMNH Por. 9992, Suriname, ‘ Snellius O.C.P.S. ’ Guyana Shelf Expedition, station E66, 7.1°N 56.1783°W, depth 65 m, Agassiz trawl, 13 May 1966 .

Description. Massive sponges with smooth-shiny surface (Fig. 4 a). Largest specimen 7 x 5 x 1 cm. Color (in alcohol) grey-brown or blackish grey, mottled with lighter and darker patches. No apparent oscules (presumably constricted in preservation). Consistency firm, incompressible. Choanosome (Fig. 4 b) featureless, densely collagenous with few canals and lacunae. In cross section the upper 1–2 mm is usually lighter colored and presumably is the cortex (verifiable only with histology), deeper in the choanosome scattered spicule fragments and calcareous nodules are found.

Distribution and ecology. Guyana Shelf, throughout the Greater Caribbean and NE Brazil, from the tidemark down to 76 m depth (previously down to 40 m).

Remarks. The variability of this species, including several Caribbean reports of the Mediterranean Chondrosia reniformis, is indicative of the possible existence of more than a single species of Chondrosia in the Central West Atlantic.