Clathrina tetrapodifera, Klautau & Valentine, 2003

Klautau, Michelle & Valentine, Clare, 2003, Revision of the genus Clathrina (Porifera, Calcarea), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 139 (1), pp. 1-62 : 49-51

CLATHRINA TETRAPODIFERA SP. NOV.

Original identification: Leucosolenia cerebrum ( Haeckel, 1872)

Etymology: Derived from the presence of tetrapods.

Type locality: New Zealand .

Type: BMNH 1938.8 .24.53. (Holotype /dry) New Zealand. Miss L. B. Moore Collection (N.Z. 17) .

Colour: Dried, fragmented holotype is white.

Description: The largest fragment (1.0 ¥ 0.6 ¥ 0.9 cm) is attached to algae. The cormus is formed of thin, regular and tightly anastomosed tubes ( Fig. 43A ). It is attached to the substrate by a few tubes, which are not true stalks. There are no water-collecting tubes, but vents on the surface. We could not search for cells with granules because of the state of preservation of the specimen.

The skeleton comprises equiangular and equiradiate triactines and tetractines on the tubes’ interior, and tripods and tetrapods on the exterior ( Fig. 43B ), delimiting the cormus. The actines of the triactines and tetractines are conical, with sharp tips. The apical actine ( Fig. 43C ) of the tetractines is shorter than the facial ones, conical, sharp and straight. The spines are located at the tip. Tripods and tetrapods are very abundant. The tripods are true tripods. Tetrapods are similar to tripods in that they also possess stout actines and a raised centre. However, they have developed a fourth, apical, actine, which is shorter than the facial ones; it is conical and differs from the apical actine of the tetractines in that it is smooth.

Remarks: The most important characteristic of this species is the presence of the tetrapods. C. tetrapodifera sp. nov. is the only clathrina described with this type of spicule, which means that it can be easily separated from all other known species using this morphological character alone.

Figures

Figure 43. Clathrina tetrapodifera sp. nov. A, photograph of the holotype (¥ 4). B, triactines, tetractines, tripods and tetrapods (arrow). C, apical actine of a tetractine covered with spines. Scale bar = 100 Mm.