Mycale (Carmia) vermistyla Li, 1986

Van, Rob W. M., Aryasari, Ratih & De, Nicole J., 2021, Mycale species of the tropical Indo-West Pacific (Porifera, Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida), Zootaxa 4912 (1), pp. 1-212 : 86

Mycale (Carmia) vermistyla Li, 1986

Mycale vermistyla Li, 1986: 87 (Chinese text), 110 (English text), Fig. 10 .

Summary description. Branched, firm body, surface irregular, color brown. Skeleton with isolated bundles of mycalostyles. Mycalostyles, alleged to be in two categories (straight and vermiform) 134–254 x 3–8 µm, anisochelae 14–16 µm, sigmas I 36–39 µm, sigmas II peculiarly curved, 14–17 µm.

Distribution. Yulin, south coast of Hainan, South China Sea, approx. 18.2°N 109.54°E. no depth data.

Comment. The ‘vermiform’ mycalostyles are probably just juvenile spicules (see above in the New Caledonian specimen of M. (C.) monomicrosclera sp.nov., which has similar vermiform spicules). The small sigmas are indicated as ‘much more curved’ and peculiar. We believe that the ramose growth form is the distinctive feature of the species.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Mycale (Aegogropila) prognatha sp.nov., holotype ZMA Por. 15822 from Mauritius, SEM images of spicules, a, mycalostyle, a1, details of mycalostyle, b, anisochela I in front view, c, anisochelae II showing size range of larger robust and smaller spicules, d, ‘prognath’ anisochela III (all anisochelae in same magnification), d1, a range of shapes found in the ‘prognath’ anisochelae III, e, sigma I, f, size range of sigma II, g, size range of toxas, g1, size and shape range of toxodragmas.