Geodia ataxastra var. angustana Von Lendenfeld, 1910
(Fig. 5K)
Geodia ataxastra var. angustana Von Lendenfeld, 1910: 79, pl. 43 figs. 9–25, 28–38, pl. 44 figs. 1–12, 14–49.
The variety was described from Perico Island, off the Pacific coast of Panama, Albatross Exped. Stat. 4626, 8.9167°N 79.525°W, shore collecting (wet syntype USNM 8363 and slide). No typical variety has been selected, but of the 8 specimens available under G. ataxastra, 7 were of the var. angustana, which was also first mentioned. Only a single specimen was assigned to the second variety, G. ataxastra var. latana (cf. below). I choose here the present variety as the nominotypical variety to be named G. ataxastra var. ataxastra . Both varieties were from the same locality (Perico Island, Panama). The var. latana differs from ataxastra by having broader cladi of the anatriaenes and small differences in habitus (disc shaped fragment vs. globular shapes) and colour (grey vs. white). Although Von Lendenfeld reported extensively on the two varieties, the differences appear small and in view of the sympatric occurrence I propose to merge the varieties and recognize a single species Geodia ataxastra Von Lendenfeld, 1910 .