Mycale (Carmia) cockburniana Hentschel, 1911

Figs 53 a–h

Mycale cockburniana Hentschel, 1911: 289, fig. 3 (not: Van Soest 1990: 305).

Mycale cockburniana var. albanensis Hentschel, 1911: 290 .

Material examined. Holotype ZMH S1665 (Figs 53a,c) and slide of holotype ZMB 4397, Australia, West Australia, Freemantle region, Cockburn Sound, Port Royal, depth 14.5–18 m, bottom mud an algae, coll. R. Hartmeyer & W. Michaelsen, 30 September 1905.

Summary description (partially after Hentschel 1911). Encrusting on mollusk shell (Fig. 53a), size 3 x 1 cm. Preserved color dirty yellow. In the interior there are algae and other foreign material embedded. Skeleton (Fig. 53b) consisting of isolated strong spicule tracts running at right angles to the surface, in addition to scattered single spicules. Spicules: mycalostyles (Fig. 53d) fusiform, 192– 247.8 –296 x 3– 4.9 – 6.5 µm, anisochelae in two size categories, neither in rosettes, slightly different in shape, I (Fig. 53e) more straight and with longer free shaft, 21– 25.3 – 31 µm, II (Fig. 53f), with proportionally shorter shaft, 7.5– 16.4 – 20 µm, sigmas (Fig. 53g) thin, in a single size category but variable, 21– 26.8 – 37 µm, trichodragmas (Fig. 53h) 18– 26.7 –30 x 2– 4.5 – 10 µm.

Distribution. West Australia, Fremantle-Albany region, depth 0.75– 18 m.

Comments. Anisochelae of the var. albanensis were slightly different in shape, according to Hentschel, but in the absence of illustrations this is thought to be of minor importance. Spicule sizes were similar.

The possession of trichodragmas suggests a similarity to Mycale (Carmia) arenicola (Ridley & Dendy, 1886) (originally as Esperella) from Bass Straits, South Australia, but this is a very sandy sponge, with longer mycalostyles, only a single category of anisochelae, and larger sigmas.