Mycale (Paresperella) penicillium (Von Lendenfeld, 1888)

Esperella penicillium Von Lendenfeld, 1888: 213; Hallmann 1914: 408, pl XXIV fig. 1, text-fig. 15.

Paresperella repens Whitelegge, 1907: 487, pl. XIV fig. 22.

Mycale moluccensis var. dichela Hentschel, 1911: 305, fig 10.

Summary description (mostly from Hallmann 1914: 408–411 and Hentschel 1911: 305–306). The type specimen consists of ‘a few ill-preserved scraps attached to pieces of shells and other débris’, presumably encrusting, which is confirmed by the specimens from Whitelegge and Hentschel. The ectosomal skeleton is a tangential aegogropilalike paucispicular reticulation. The choanosomal skeleton is a loose reticulation of spicule tracts up to 150 µm in thickness, which subdivide near the surface supporting the ectosomal skeleton. Spicules mycalostyles with bidentate ending, occasionally with bluntly rounded ending, 192–410 x up to 8 µm, anisochelae I 29–39 µm, anisochelae II 9–22.5 µm, sigmas I, serrated, 44–52 µm.

Distribution. Port Jackson, SE Australia; Shark Bay, West Australia, shallow water.

Comment. See for further remarks above in the discussion of M. (P.) moluccensis, which differs from M. (P.) penicillium in possessing only one size category of anisochelae as well as toxas, while M.(P.) moluccensis has two sizes of anisochelae and lacks toxas.

Key to the Mycale (Paresperella) species from the region

1 Serrated sigmas> 200 µm ................................................... Mycale (Paresperella) macrosigma

- Serrated sigmas only <200 µm .......................................................................... 2

2 Megascleres include tylote, strongylote, bidentate or polydentate mycalostyles (a minority of ‘normal mycalostyles with pointed ends may occur).................................................................................... 3

- Megascleres exclusively pointed or at most mucronate........................... Mycale (Paresperella) serratohamata 3 Megascleres exclusively tylote-like with symmetrical swollen endings; serrated sigmas large (> 100 µm).................................................................................. Mycale (Paresperella) seychellensis sp.nov.

- Megascleres include bidentate, tridentate or polydentate mycalostyles............................................ 4

4 Toxas present....................................................... Mycale (Paresperella) sceptroides sp.nov.

- No toxas............................................................................................ 5

5 One size category of anisochelae.............................................. Mycale (Paresperella) moluccensis

- Two size categories of anisochelae.............................................. Mycale (Paresperella) penicillium

Global diversity and distribution of the subgenus Mycale (Paresperella)

We queried the World Porifera Database (Van Soest et al. 2020) and added the above results from our Indo-West Pacific Mycale (Paresperella) study to arrive at the current tentative estimate of known accepted species, which numbers 17. Their distribution over the world oceans summarized as the numbers of species found in Marine Ecoregions of the World (cf. Spalding et al. 2007) is presented in Fig. 113. The subgenus is circumglobal in tropical and warm temperate waters, with a few penetrating into colder temperate waters.

Subgenus Mycale (Rhaphidotheca) Kent, 1870

Rhaphidotheca Kent, 1870: 219 .

Gomphostegia Topsent, 1896: 149 .

Sceptrospongia Dendy, 1926: 6 .

Mycale (Rhaphidotheca); Van Soest & Hajdu 2002: 684.

Type species. Rhaphidotheca marshallhalli Kent, 1870 (= Mycale (Rhaphidotheca) marshallhalli).

Remark. No species were found in the material we studied.

Additional Mycale (Rhaphidotheca) species from the region