Agelas sventres Lehnert

Rützler, Klaus, Piantoni, Carla, Van, Rob W. M. & Díaz, Cristina, 2014, Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay, Zootaxa 3805 (1), pp. 1-129 : 78

Agelas sventres Lehnert & van Soest, 1996

Synonymy and references. Agelas sventres Lehnert & van Soest, 1996: 65, figs. 6, 22, 55; Parra-Velandia et al., 2014: 334, fig. 14 (including synonymy).

Material. USNM 1191330, Carrie Bow Cay back reef near crest, 0.3 m; inside and underside of A. palmata r ubble ; K. Ruetzler, col. 23 Apr 1974. USNM 1191331, Carrie Bow back reef and reef flat, 1 m; in old conch shells; K. Ruetzler & C. Piantoni col. 23 Feb. 2006. USNM 1229100, Curlew Bank, forereef slope (wall), 50-150 cm inside framework cave, ceiling, 20 m; C. Piantoni & M. Parrish, col. 22 Aug 2012.

External morphology. Massive cushions, 6-8 cm in diameter, up to 3 cm thick. Surface smooth, with irregularly dispersed, circular openings, 2–6 mm in diameter. The color is bright orange red, only slightly duller in the cavernous interior.

Skeleton structure. Network of coarse spongin fibers cored and echinated by spicules.

Spicules. Acanthostyles with spines in whorls: 80–220 x 11–18 (152 x 14) Μm, 10–16 (12) whorls of spines. Some spicules, particularly the longer ones, have reduced spines along the center half of the shaft.

Ecology. In the survey area it occurs on lower surfaces of platy coral rock ( Acropora palmata ) and inside empty conch shells with apex cut off, 1 m or less deep. Elsewhere it is reported from reefs between 5– 30 m.

Distribution. Occurs on reefs throughout the Caribbean region ( Parra-Velandia et al., 2014)

Comments. Because of its color, the species can be confused with some specimens of Agelas citrina and A. clathrodes ( Schmidt, 1870) but we found that the former is easily distinguished by its substantially longer spicules, the latter by its particularly short acanthostyles (almost one third less than A. sventres ); also, we did not encounter A. clathrodes in cave habitats we studied.