Ircinia variabilis ( Schmidt, 1862 )

Evcen, Alper, Çinar, Melih Ertan, Zengin, Mustafa, Süer, Serdar & Rüzgar, Melih, 2016, New records of five sponge species (Porifera) for the Black Sea, Zootaxa 4103 (3), pp. 267-275 : 272

Ircinia variabilis ( Schmidt, 1862)

Figure 2 E, 3E(1, 2, 3)

Hircinia variabilis Schmidt 1862: 34

Ircinia variabilis Manconi et al. 2013: 31 , Figure 19.

Material examined. ESFM –POR / 2014–006, October 2013, 9 m, on sandy bottom, 1 specimen.

Notes. Specimen has brown color in alcohol ( Fig. 2 E). Consistency is soft and elastic. Oscules are arranged in disorder, which is up to 6 mm. Skeleton network of primary (80–180 µm) fibres were cored by grains ( Fig. 3 E2), and secondary fibres are thinner than primary fibres (30–40 µm) ( Fig. 3 E1). It has a very thin filaments (4–8 µm), and the inclusions were absent ( Fig. 3 E3).

Habitat and distribution. This species was previously collected in different hard bottom (cave, coralligenous community, detritic and rocky) habitats in the Mediterranean Sea ( Schmidt 1862, Vacelet 1959, Pansini 1987, Voultsiadou 2005, Evcen & Cinar 2012) and the coasts of West Africa, Atlantic Ocean ( Burton 1956).

Figures

FIGURE 2. Photographs of sponges: A. Hymedesmia (Hymedesmia) pansa, B. Chalinula renieroides, C. Haliclona (Halichoclona) fulva, D. Haliclona (Rhizoniera) rosea, E. Ircinia variabilis (scale bar: for A = 20 cm, B = 20 cm, C = 15 cm, D = 10 cm, E = 25 cm).

FIGURE 3. Skeleton networks of sponges: A. Hymedesmia (Hymedesmia) pansa, B. Chalinula renieroides, C. Haliclona (Halichoclona) fulva, D. Haliclona (Rhizoniera) rosea E. Ircinia variabilis: 1. secondary fibres, 2. primary fibrils, 3. thin filaments. (Scale bar: for A = 150 µm, B = 180 µm, C = 150 µm, D = 130 µm, E 1, 2 = 100 µm, E 3 = 120 µm).