Tetilla laminaris var. symmetrica Wilson, 1931

Van Soest, Rob W. M., 2024, Correcting sponge names: nomenclatural update of lower taxa level Porifera, Zootaxa 5398 (1), pp. 1-122 : 63

Tetilla laminaris var. symmetrica Wilson, 1931

Tetilla laminaris var. symmetrica Wilson, 1931: 168 (no illustration).

The variety was described by Wilson from Chesapeake Bay, VA, United States, collected by US B.F. Fish Hawk, Stat. 8082 on Feb. 4, 1921, approximate coordinates 37.5°N 76.15°W (holotype and two paratypes registered as USNM 22065). It differs from the typical variety described by George & Wilson (1919: 142, from Beaufort, N.C., 34.72°N 76.65°W, type material not identified) in shape only, reason for Lehnert & Stone (2011: 322) to suggest the two are the same taxon. I propose to follow their suggestion and formally merge the varieties to a single species Tetilla laminaris George & Wilson, 1919 . Type material of the species is not clearly identified in the collection of the Unites States National Museum, so the varietal types may be of value for typification, and topotypical specimens described by Wells et al. (1960: 236 as Craniella ) are presumably representative for the species.