Clathrina tetractina, Klautau & Borojevic, 2001

Klautau, Michelle & Valentine, Clare, 2003, Revision of the genus Clathrina (Porifera, Calcarea), Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 139 (1), pp. 1-62 : 42-43

CLATHRINA TETRACTINA KLAUTAU &

BOROJEVIC, 2001

Type locality: Arraial do Cabo , Rio de Janeiro, Brazil .

Type: BMNH 1999.9 .16.33 (holotype /alcohol). Arraial do Cabo (Pedra Vermelha), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Collected by G. Muricy (14 June 1987) .

Colour: Cormus is white in life and when preserved.

Description: Cormus formed of large, irregular and loosely anastomosed tubes. Large superficial tubes collect the ex-current water, and then converge on a few apical oscula.

The wall of the tubes varies from 25 Mm to 50 Mm in thickness. The skeleton has no special organization, comprising mainly tetractines ( Fig. 33A ), although a few triactines can also be found. Spicules are equiradiate and equiangular. Actines are conical, with sharp tips, and at the distal part they are slightly undulated. The apical actine ( Fig. 33B ) of the tetractines is very thin even at the base, and resembles the apical actine of the tetractines of C. contorta Minchin, 1905 . It is straight, cylindrical, sharp, long and smooth and is projected into the tubes. Only one specimen of this species was found. Its habitat was sciaphilous.

Remarks: Although there is a similarity to the tetractines of C. contorta , C. tetractina has no triactines or diactines. Moreover, C. contorta is a species from the Mediterranean Sea.

CLATHRINA WISTARIENSIS WÖRHEIDE & HOOPER, 1999

Type locality: Great Barrier Reef.

Type: QMG 313663 (holotype /alcohol). South side of Wistari Reef, 23∞29.4¢S, 151∞52.8¢E, 18 m depth. Collected by G. Wörheide (7 July 1998).

Colour: The colour of the holotype alive was white ( Wörheide & Hooper, 1999), but it became light yellow when preserved.

Description: This sponge is delicate and the holotype is fragmented. It is difficult to recognize the organization of the cormus in this specimen now, but by observing the photograph of the holotype, it was possible to confirm that it comprises large, irregular and loosely anastomosed tubes. No water-collecting tubes were observed ( Fig. 34A ). The skeleton has no special organization, comprising equiangular and equiradiate triactines ( Fig. 34B ). Actines are cylindrical, with blunt tips. Young triactines can also be found and their actines are more conical. The mesohyl is full of porocytes with brown granules.

In the original description, the micrometry of the spicules is:

Figures

Figure 33. Clathrina tetractina. A, tetractines. B, apical actine of a tetractine (arrow). Scale bar = 100 Mm.

Figure 34. Clathrina wistariensis. A, photograph of the holotype (¥ 40). B, triactine. Scale bar = 100 Mm.