Hemigellius bidens (Topsent, 1901)

Göcke, Christian & Janussen, Dorte, 2013, Demospongiae of ANT XXIV / 2 (SYSTCO I) Expedition — Antarctic Eastern Weddell Sea, Zootaxa 3692 (1), pp. 28-101 : 77-78

Hemigellius bidens (Topsent, 1901)

( Fig. 10 E)

Hemigellius bidens (Topsent, 1901) : Desqueyroux-Faúndez & Valentine 2002: 884–885. Campos et al. 2007a: 702-, figs. 63– 68.

Synonymy:

Gellius bidens Topsent, 1901: 14 , pl. 1, fig. 9, pl. 2, fig. 4, 1917: 77. Hentschel 1914: 129. Burton 1929: 423. Vacelet & Arnaud 1972: 19. Barthel et al. 1990: 123, 1997: 49.

Haliclona bidens (Topsent, 1901) : Koltun 1964, 101.

Plumocolumetta bidens (Topsent, 1901) : de Laubenfels 1936: 54.

Material. 1 specimen from station 048-1 (SMF 11793), 602.1 m, 70° 23.94' S, 8° 19.14' W, 12.01.2008.

Description. Specimen a tube-shaped fragment with a smooth surface. Choanosomal skeleton a poorly organized anisotropic reticulation; ectosomal skeleton of radial oxea bundles. Spicules oxeas, 600–690 x 15–20 µm and sigmas with bifurcated ends, 40 µm in length and 16 µm in width.

Remarks. This well characterized species has been described and illustrated in detail by several authors, including Topsent (1901), Hentschel (1914), Koltun (1964) and Campos et al. (2007a). Our specimen accords well with those prior descriptions. The sigmas with bifurcated ends, so far only known from this species, are an absolutely distinct character differentiating the species from all other sponge taxa (Desqueyroux-Faúndez & Valentine 2002).

Figures

FIGURE 10. Habitus pictures. A: Myxilla (Burtonanchora) asigmata (Topsent, 1901) (SMF 11824), in ethanol, B: Phelloderma sp. nov. (SMF 11726), large sponge, growing besides small T. semisuberites (SMF 11727), alive, ex situ, C: Mycale (Oxymycale) acerata Kirkpatrick, 1907 (SMF 11800), alive, ex situ, D: Axinella antarctica (Koltun, 1964) (SMF 11835), in ethanol, E: Hemigellius bidens (Topsent, 1901) (SMF 11793), in ethanol, F: Hemigellius fimbriatus (Kirkpatrick, 1907) (SMF 11810), in ethanol, G: Cladocroce gaussiana (Hentschel, 1914) (SMF 11837), in ethanol, H: Haliclona (Reniera) sp. (SMF 11818), in ethanol. Scale bars: A: 10 mm, B: 5 mm, C: 40 mm, D: 5 mm, E: 10 mm, F: 10 mm, G: 10 mm, H: 10 mm.