Rowella lancifera Lopes & Klautau, 2023

Lopes, Matheus Vieira & Klautau, Michelle, 2023, Phylogeny and revision of Leucaltis and Leucettusa (Porifera: Calcarea), with new classification proposals and description of a new type of aquiferous system, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 198, pp. 691-746 : 729-732

ROWELLA LANCIFERA ( DENDY, 1924) COMB. NOV.

( FIGS 22, 23; TABLE 12)

Synonyms: Leucettusa lancifer – Dendy, 1924: 278; Brøndsted, 1926: 301; Burton, 1929: 402; Burton,

1963: 555; Pritchard et al., 1984: 128; Kelly et al., 2009: 45; Leucettusa imperfecta – Burton, 1963: 598; Leucettusa lancifera – Kelly, 2018: 19.

T y p e s p e c i m e n: O n e l e c t o t y p e (B M N H 1 9 2 3. 1 9. 1. 5) a n d o n e p a r a l e c t o t y p e (B M N H 1923.10.1.6).

Type locality: Three Kings Islands , New Zealand (34°24ʹ S, 172°06ʹ E; inaccurate coordinates). Three Kings–North Cape MEOW ecoregion .

Description: Sponge tubular with vase-shaped form, strongly oval at the top, tapering to the base. Colour white to beige in ethanol ( Fig. 22A). Consistency compressible to the touch. Outer surface smooth. Folds of choanosomal tissue delimitate the atrial cavity ( Fig. 22B). One apical osculum, elevated and surrounded by a membrane. Aquiferous system leuconoid with subspherical to oval choanocyte chambers ( Fig. 22C).

Skeleton: Cortical skeleton well developed, having approximately the same thickness as the choanosome; comprised of several layers of tangential triactines ( Fig. 22D). Choanosomal and atrial skeletons reduced and comprised of pygmy triactines and tetractines mostly present around canals ( Fig. 22E, F). Pygmy tetractines are also abundant near the osculum.