Dragmacidon reticulatum ( Ridley & Dendy, 1886 )

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 : 70-71

Dragmacidon reticulatum ( Ridley & Dendy, 1886)

Synonymy and references. Pseudaxinella lunaecharta ( Ridley & Dendy, 1886) : Wiedenmayer (1977): 155, fig. 156, pl. 31: 7–10, pl. 32: 1–3. Pseudaxinella reticulata ( Ridley & Dendy, 1886) : Alvarez et al. (1998): 15. Dragmacidon reticulatum ( Ridley & Dendy, 1886) : Rützler et al. (2009): 301.

Material. USNM 1191334, off Curlew Bank, forereef cave, 20 m; C. Piantoni col. 2 Jul 2007.

External morphology. Cushion with lobes, about 5 cm total diameter. Surface finely conulose (0.5 mm conules), with conspicuous, slightly raised circular oscula, 2-3 mm in diameter. Color bright orange red in live. Skeleton structure. Plumose spicule tracts leading from substrate to surface, some interconnected, loose spicules without particular orientation in between.

Spicules. The main spiculation is made up by styles, most of them bent in the upper third (toward the round end) where they are also the thickest: 290–340 x 15–20 (323 x 18) Μm. Along with the styles occur, fewer in number, slightly bent hastate oxeas: 360–410 x 15–18 (336 x 17) Μm. A small percentage of shorter and thinner styles and oxeas (averaging 180 x 9 Μm) are probably developmental stages

Ecology. Generally found on reefs and other hard bottoms, 1–70 m, also epibiotic, overgrowing other sessile organisms, including sponges.

Distribution. From Bermuda to North Carolina, Florida, throughout the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean, and to northeastern Brazil.