Terpios cf. fugax Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864

(Fig. 3 A–E) (Tab. 2)

Examined material. Sample Bugor 330: Indonesia, North Sulawesi, Bunaken Island, Raymond’s Point, 20 m, February 2007; sample Bugor 505: Indonesia, North Sulawesi, Siladen Island, depth not stated, September 2007.

Description. Thin crust, up to 1 mm thick, covering most of the colonies of Carijoa riisei (Fig. 3 A) and Paratelesto rosea, leaving free only the anthocodiae (Fig. 3 B). One sample (Bugor 505) was observed growing on the substratum around the colony of C. riisei (Fig. 3 A). The specimen Bugor 505 consists of four branches of C. riisei, up to 10 cm long, while Bugor 330 is a small ramified portion of a colony of P. ro s e a about 4.5 cm long. In situ the sponge is vivid blue (Fig. 3 A), while ethanol preserved specimens are grey-light blue (Fig. 3 B).

Skeleton. Single tylostyles or tylostyles organized in brushes, with the head on the coral surface and the tips towards the exterior. The sponge surface is thus microhispid (Fig. 3 C, D).

Spicules. Tylostyles with very variable heads, generally pluri-lobed (Fig. 3 E), 102.5 – 390 x 2 – 7.5 µm. Refer to Tab. 2 for complete measurements.

Tylostyles

Distribution and remarks. This sponge typically grows on dead coral (van Soest 2002a). Van Soest et al. (2011) stated that the European records of this species should be assigned to T. gelatinosa (Bowerbank, 1866) .

Our specimens are indistinguishable from the Caribbean ones described by Duchassaing & Michelotti (1864) and re-described by Rützler & Smith (1993) both regarding colour and tylostyle shape and size. However, it is unlikely that this species has a disjunct distribution (Caribbean and Indonesia). Therefore, further comparisons including molecular work between Caribbean and Indonesian specimens will be needed to determine whether they belong to the same species.