Mycale (Carmia) lissochela Bergquist, 1965

Figs 37 a–e, 38a–e

Mycale lissochela Bergquist, 1965: 168, figs 22a–b

Not: Alcolado 1976: 5 (= presumably M. (C.) microsigmatosa Arndt, 1927).

Material examined. USNM 23702, fragment of holotype Palau Islands, Koror, E side of mouth of Kaki-suido, Oyster Pass, coll. Project Coral Fish Expedition, depth 1–7 m, 22 October 1955 .

ZMA. Por. 09632, Indonesia, SW Sulawesi, Spermonde Archipelago, Badi, 4.96°S 119.28°E, depth 20 m , SCUBA, coll. H. Moll, 1 October 1980 (mottled brown-white) .

Description (Figs 37a, 38a). Encrusting on erect hydroids, soft corals, and partially covered in zoanthids. Length and width of sponge dependent of substratum dimension (up to 10 cm or more in lateral expansion), thickness several mm. Surface conulose due to protruding hydroid/coral substratum. Live color of ZMA 09632 was reported as mottled brown-white. The type material is pinkish grey to cream-yellow in alcohol. The preserved ZMA specimen is blackish brown, due to color contamination from verongid sponges subsequent to collecting. Consistency soft.

Skeleton (Figs 37b, 38b). Thin spicule tracts, 30–60 µm in diameter branching sinuously (Fig. 37b) but not anastomosed, fanning out towards the surface (Fig. 38b). There is no tangential skeleton of megascleres, only scattered microscleres. Overall spicular density low, with both megascleres and microscleres thinly developed.

Spicules (Figs 37 c–e, 38c–e). Mycalostyles, a single category of anisochelae, a single category of sigmas.

Mycalostyles (Figs 37c,c 1, 38c,c 1), slightly curved, with thin elongated head and sharply pointed ending, type specimen: 212–275 x 3–4.5 µm, Indonesian specimen: 237– 253.8 –276 x 2– 3.6 – 5 µm.

Anisochelae (Figs 37d, 38d), not common, narrow-shaped, with upper alae 50% of spicule length, type specimen: 13–20 µm, Indonesian specimen: 14– 16.4 – 18 µm

Sigmas (Figs 37e, 38e), common, in a single thin, elongate category, variable in size, type specimen: 19–40 µm, Indonesian specimen: 24– 34.0 – 38 µm.

Distribution and ecology. Indonesia, Palau Islands, on reefs, at 1–20 m depth.

Remarks. The species is characterized by poor development of silica, with thin spicule tracts, thin mycalostyles and thin microscleres, with only the sigmas commony present. The type material from Palau and the Sulawesi specimen are closely similar in these aspects, as well as in spicule dimensions. On paper the description sounds rather similar to several other thinly encrusting Mycale (Carmia) species, such as M. (C.) phyllophila Hentschel, 1911 (cf. below), M. monanchorata Burton & Rao, 1932 (cf. above and below), and perhaps also M. (Ar.) tenuispiculata (cf. above), but the combination of poorly developed skeleton attached to anthozoan or hydrozoan substratums, with single size categories of small thin anisochelae and small thin sigmas, appears distinct.

Alcolado’s (1976) record of this species from Cuba is obviously incorrect.