Niphatidae sp. 1

Fig. 9

Material examined

SWEDEN • 1 spec.; Svartejan; 59.1102° N, 11.3219° E; 24 Sep. 2019; Mats Larsson leg. [MM-190924- 1]; SCUBA; LAR-190924-P9240059, 63; GenBank no.: OM436284 (coxI), OM415650 (28S D3-D5); voucher: GNM Porifera 1090 .

Description

A massive encrusting specimen, from which we collected a fragment ca 4 mm long. The specimen was growing on a vertical rock. Its pores are visible as well as a single simple osculum, which was on the top of a cone; in situ, some of the aquiferous canals were visible in the thinnest areas of the sponge. The surface is hispid. The natural colour is whitish-grey (Fig. 9A), transitioning to snow white in ethanol.

Skeleton

The small dimensions of the collected fragment did not allow us to produce a thick section. The spicules are thick, slightly curved oxeas with sharp points (Fig. 9B), measuring: 100.0– 183.4 –210.0± 20.18 × 5– 7.4 –10± 1.25 µm (N= 29) (Fig. 8B). We did no find microscleres.