Oceanapia hechteli nom. nov.

Figure 2, Table 1

Adocia sp. Hechtel, 1976: p. 240 (Pernambuco State, Brazil).

Rhizochalina nodulosa Hechtel, 1983: p. 65, fig. 5–6 (Pernambuco State, Brazil).

Oceanapia nodulosa; Santos et al. 2002: p. 396 (Pernambuco State, Brazil); Muricy et al. 2011: p. 109.

Not Oceanapia nodulosa (Topsent, 1928) (a valid species).

Material examined: UFPEPOR 3172, off Recife Municipality (08°06’02’’S 34°42’07’’W), Pernambuco State, Brazil, depth 30 m, dredge, st. 129, Recife expedition, 5 April 1967.

Comparative material: YPM 5705 (Holotype), Recife, Pernambuco State, Brazil, depth 27 m, det. Hechtel (1983) (Photographs of the specimen, choanosome and spicules).

External morphology (Fig. 2A). Semispherical sponge, 9.3 x 6.2 cm (length x width). The specimen has nine fistulae, about 0.2–0.6 x 0.2–0.5 cm (length x width), distributed throughout the specimen. The surface is rough and hispid; firm consistency and circular oscules present at the top of the fistulae. Colour when preserved (ethanol 80%) is reddish brown, colour in life is unknown.

Skeleton (Fig. 2B). Ectosoma multilayered compact crust of tangential spicules, with multispicular fiber bundles (69– 83.3 –102 µm, diameter). Cross-linked choanosomal skeleton with multispicular tracts (81– 107.7 –125 µm) forming well-defined circular meshes (125– 383.7 –625 µm).

Spicules (Fig. 2C). Oxeas (174– 210.1 –232 / 6– 6.9 –8 µm): curved, smooth, robust and with telescopic tips. Raphidiform oxeas (97 –162.1– 230 / 2.6 µm): smooth, smaller and thinner.

Distribution and ecology. Endemic from Pernambuco State, Brazil (Hechtel 1976; 1983; Santos et al. 2002; Muricy et al. 2011) (Fig. 1). This specimen was found over calcareous algae.

Etymology. Named after George Hechtel, the authority who designed Rhizochalina nodulosa Hechtel, 1983 .

Remarks. Hechtel (1983) described the species from a single specimen, the holotype (YPM 5705), collected in Pernambuco State. We found a topotype specimen (UFPEPOR 3172), described herein. This specimen and the holotype have very similar features; both have a semispherical body with small fragmented fistulae. Their spicule complement of oxeas and its dimensions are similar (see Table 1).

About the homonymy Oceanapia nodulosa, Topsent (1928) described from the Azores a new species, Phloeodictyon nodulosum . Hechtel (1983) described the new species Rhizochalina nodulosa without observing that Van Soest (1980) had already proposed the genus Rhizochalina and Phloeodictyon as synonyms of Oceanapia . According to the International Code of Zoological Name (ICZN 1999: 52.2) the name Oceanapia nodulosa (Hechtel, 1983) should be rejected. Oceanapia hechteli nom. nov. is herein proposed as a replacement for Oceanapia nodulosa (Hechtel, 1983) homonym of Oceanapia nodulosa (Topsent, 1928) .

......continued on the next page References: (1) Hechtel (1983); (2) Topsent (1928); (3) Wiedenmayer (1977); (4) De Laubenfels (1934); (5) Lehnert & Van Soest (1999); (6) Campos et al. (2005); (7) Topsent (1904); (8) Schmidt (1870); (9) Van Soest (2017); (10) Lévi (1969); (11) De Weerdt & Van Soest (1986); (12) Topsent (1892); (13) Schmidt (1880); (14) Carter (1882); (15) George & Wilson (1919); (16) Zea (1987); (17) Van Soest & Sass (1981); (18) Bowerbank (1866).