Clathrina clara, 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 : 46-47

CLATHRINA CLARA SP. NOV.

Original identification: Clathrina coriacea ( Montagu, 1818)

Etymology: Latin clarus (= bright). Describing the bright surface.

Remarks: As C. clara has two populations of triactines of different sizes, it can be mistaken for C. primordialis . However, it is easy to differentiate the two species by the anastomosis of the tubes (tight in C. clara and loose in C. primordialis ), and by the size of the spicules. The two populations of triactines of C. primordialis differ mainly in their thickness (91.9/ 9.6; 86.6/11.3 Mm), while in C. clara the difference is also in the length (84.5/9.8; 164.5/21.8 Mm). The large size of the triactines that remain on the surface of the tubes in C. clara is enough to differentiate it from the other clathrinas.