Suberites tylobtusus Lévi, 1958

Samaai, Toufiek, Maduray, Seshnee, Janson, Liesl & Ngwakum, Benedicta, 2017, A new species of habitat – forming Suberites (Porifera, Demospongiae, Suberitida) in the Benguela upwelling region (South Africa), Zootaxa 4254 (1), pp. 49-81 : 68

Suberites tylobtusus Lévi, 1958

( Figure 9 a–f; Table 2 ; Table S1)

Original description. Suberites tylobtusus Lévi, 1958 .

Synonymy. Suberites tylobtusa Lévi, 1958 , pg. 24, fig. 20; Suberites tylobtusa Uriz, 1988 , pg. 38, fig. 15.

Material examined. Holotype MNHN DCL 1301, Suberites tylobtusa Lévi, 1958 .

Description of gross morphology. Small fragments of type material ( Figure 9 a). Lévi (1958) however, described the sponge as massive with rounded lobes. Surface smooth, irregular and velvety to the touch. Oscules not visible. Consistency soft and fleshy. Colour in life bright orange.

Megascleres. Megascleres are tylostyles and tylostrongyles in one size catogory. Tylostyles 1, smooth, slightly curved sometimes polytylote; head either well rounded or pear shaped, or reduced to resemble styles. Distally fusiform, or with mucronate or rounded ends. One size category (440–556 µm x 15 µm) (maximum length 600 µm x 15–25 µm) ( Figure 9 b, c, d). Tylostyles 2, more slender than the previous ones in length, gently curved with well formed heads, sometimes slightly fusiform, 350–450 µm x 10–11 µm thick. Tylostrongyles short and stocky 182– 297 µm x 8 µm (maximum length 450 µm x 15) ( Figure 9 e) (please refer to Table 2 for comparative measurements).

Microscleres. Absent.

Skeleton. The skeletal architecture is irregular and includes packages of radial megasclere pointing in every direction and separated by more slender spicules ( Figure 9 f). There is no recognisable ectosome. Ectosomal skeleton consists of densly packed tylostyles

Type locality. Abu Latt Island, Red Sea.

Habitat. Coral reefs.

Figures

FIGURE 9. Type specimen of S. tylobtusus Lévi, 1958. a. Habitus; b. Large tylostyles; c & d. Tylostyles smooth, slightly curved sometimes polytylote; head either well formed or pear shaped or reduced like in styles; e. Tylostrongyles short and stocky; f. Skeletal architecture.