Isodictya simulans var. cancellata Carter, 1887

Van Soest, Rob W. M., 2024, Correcting sponge names: nomenclatural update of lower taxa level Porifera, Zootaxa 5398 (1), pp. 1-122 : 37

Isodictya simulans var. cancellata Carter, 1887

Isodictya simulans var. cancellata Carter, 1887: 69 (no illustration).

Carter described eight specimens from the north east side of King’s Island in the Mergui Archipelago, Myanmar, approximate coordinates 12.58 N 98.42E, as Isodictya simulans ( Johnston, 1842, originally as Halichondria ) with local varietal and subvarietal names. Since Haliclona (Haliclona) simulans ( Johnston, 1842) is currently a well-established European species (see De Weerdt 1986: 97) it is judged to be unlikely that the Andaman Sea Coral Coast specimens belong to it and accordingly the varieties are elevated to species rank.

Four specimens were named var. cancellata and a wet type specimen of this is kept in the Natural History Museum London, BMNH 1887.4.26.2, here selected as lectotype. Three of the four specimens were named subvariety fusca and one subvariety albida. The subvarieties are excluded as available taxa by ICZN art. 45.5 and are not eligible for regulation under the Code. Since the two subvarieties are similar thin crusts with only a difference in the intensity of their brown color, their specimens are likely members of the single species Haliclona cancellata ( Carter, 1887) . This combination is preoccupied by Haliclona cancellata ( Sowerby, 1806: 131, as Spongia ), which was reassigned as a nomen oblitum (ICZN art. 23.9.2) by Van Soest et al. (2020: 15, case 14) to the synonymy of Haliclona (Reniera) cinerea ( Grant, 1826: 204 as Spongia ). Since both cancellata species belong to the same genus I propose Haliclona merguiensis nom.nov. for Carter’s species in accordance with ICZN art. 59.1.