Porifera from Ponta do Ouro (Mozambique) Author Calcinai, Barbara C16E9433-A532-470E-B9A6-7FE9B9F4FEC3 Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy. b.calcinai@staff.univpm.it Author Belfiore, Giuseppe D26DFB86-3168-4B13-915A-D19B025143F4 Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy. gbelf89@hotmail.it Author Pica, Daniela 67CA8471-D9AE-414B-802E-7858C6B49C62 Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy. daniela.pica@gmail.com Author Torsani, Fabrizio 79D7D36F-1A9B-4D43-B2A1-B671719F2D93 Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy. f.torsani@univpm.it Author Palma, Marco 96B40C66-6E70-45D6-A065-0BCEF4565A64 Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy. 2marco.palma@gmail.com Author Cerrano, Carlo C1E63119-46EC-456A-BB00-824293B00828 Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy. c.cerrano@staff.univpm.it text European Journal of Taxonomy 2020 2020-08-06 698 1 56 journal article 10.5852/ejt.2020.698 be802d18-f06f-4e22-9856-8b037f21ca52 2118-9773 3978511 623BBCE3-12A5-45A9-802A-2ED2E15164A3 Clathria ( Thalysias ) vulpina ( Lamarck, 1814 ) Fig. 22 Spongia vulpina Lamarck, 1814: 449 . Material examined PONTA DO OURO1 sample preserved dry; 26°46′39.864″ S , 32°55′25.319″ E ; Cloud break; 34 m deep; 22 May 2015 ; Torsani leg.; IMG0826 several fragments , the larger about 6 cm long; 26°49′17.512″ S , 32°53′42.511″ E ; Kev’s; 23.4 m deep; 3 Feb. 2017 ; Cerrano leg.; PO3 . Description The live sponge is massive, with rounded conules covering the surface ( Fig. 22A ). The color is redorange. The fragments preserved in alcohol are beige in color; they have a digitate-conulose surface and a very firm consistence. SKELETON. The ectosome consists of a paratangential layer of thin styles ( Fig. 22B ). The choanosome ( Fig. 22C ) is made by a reticulation of multispicular primary fibers, 70–125 µm in section, and secondary fibers, 23–35 µm , forming irregularly rounded meshes around 150 µm wide. The fibers have a core of styles and are echinated by acanthostyles. SPICULES. Slightly curved and smooth styles ( Fig. 22D ), sometimes straight, 145–(176.5, 21.4)– 210 µm × 6–(7, 1.1)– 9.5 µm ; longer and straight subtylote styles ( Fig. 22E ), microspined or smooth on the head, 198.5–(230, 15.5)– 250 µm ×4.5–(6.5, 0.8)– 7.5 µm ; subtylote acanthostyles ( Fig. 22F ), with smooth neck, 47.5–(51, 4.9)– 72.5 µm ; very thin toxas ( Fig. 22G ), bent in the middle, 143–181 µm ; palmate isochelae ( Fig. 22H ) 11.3–14.6 µm . Remarks The specimens fit the original description of Clathria ( Thalysias ) vulpina ( Lamarck, 1814 ) from Australia . The species has already been found in the area ( Thomas 1979 ). On the specimen PO3, the hydroid Zyzzyzus warreni Calder, 1988 (Class Hydrozoa , Phylum Cnidaria) grew.