Iophon gaussi Hentschel, 1914

Schejter, Laura, Cristobo, Javier & Ríos, Pilar, 2024, New records of demosponges (Porifera) from the South Orkney Islands (Antarctica) with a checklist for the region, Zootaxa 5403 (4), pp. 401-430 : 406

Iophon gaussi Hentschel, 1914

( Fig. 2a–e )

Restricted synonymy: Iophon spatulatum var. gaussi Hentschel, 1914

Material examined: 4 specimens collected at stations 2 ( SOI; 60°53'S, 44°33'W; 218 m; 20/2/2014; MACN-In 44368; IEO-CSIC Col.), 6 ( SOI; 61°25'S, 44°37'W; 290 m; 3/3/2014; MACN-In 44369; IEO-CSIC Col.), 10 ( SOI; 60°59'S, 46°43'W; 307 m; 5/3/2014; MACN-In 44370) and 12 ( SOI; 60°51'S, 44°50'W; 226 m; 11/2/2014; MACNIn 44371; IEO-CSIC Col) .

Description: Massive broken specimens, yellow to brown ( Figure 2a ). Spicules are smooth robust oxeas 470– 640 µm by 30 µm; acanthotylotes 280–400 µm by 10–15 µm; anisochelae 20–22.5 µm and bipocilli ~10 µm ( Figure 2b–e ).

Remarks: This species was recorded from Antarctic waters by Hentschel (1914) and Ríos (2006). It can be distinguished from I. unicorne (see below) by the morphology of the acanthotylotes. This finding represents the first record for the SOI.

Figures

FIGURE 2. a–e Iophon gaussi. a. general morphology, scale: 4 cm; b. oxeote, scale: 100 µm; c. tylote, scale: 60 mm; d. anisochelae, scale: 20 µm; e. bipocilli, scale: 5 µm, taken from Ríos (2006). f–j. Iophon unicorne, f. general morphology, scale: 4 cm; g. oxeote. Scale: 100 µm; h. tylote, scale: 50 µm; i. anisochelae, scale: 8 µm; j. bipocilli, scale: 10 µm.