Discodermia emarginata var. lamellaris Wilson, 1925

(Fig. 5J)

Discodermia emarginata var. lamellaris Wilson, 1925: 456, pl. 43 fig. 5.

The variety was described by Wilson from Cabugan Grande Island, Eastern Philippines, Albatross Stat. 5482, 10.4583°N 125.3°E, depth 123 m (holotype USNM 21260 and paratype 21261).The illustrations of the type material of the typical variety by Dendy (1905: 99, from Gulf of Mannar, Sri Lanka, approximate coordinates 9°N 79°E, BMNH 1925.11.1.1250) and Wilson’s (1925) specimens of the variety lamellaris are poor: Dendy gave only drawings of the spicules, Wilson merely stated his specimen was similar to Dendy’s. The var. lamellaris rests upon two features, the foremost being a more elaborate lamellate shape (vs a ’massive’ or ‘amorphous’ shape in the typical variety), and the length of the microrhabds (12–18 µm in the typical variety, 8–40 µm in the var. lamellaris). The shape differences between the varieties are unclear due to lack of illustrations, and the microrhabd lengths are notoriously variable in the family Theonellidae . I propose to merge the variety lamellaris with the typical variety to a single species Discodermia emarginata Dendy, 1905 .