Haliclona (Soestella) lehnerti

Rützler, Klaus, Piantoni, Carla, Van, Rob W. M. & Díaz, Cristina, 2014, Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay, Zootaxa 3805 (1), pp. 1-129 : 82

Haliclona (Soestella) lehnerti de Weerdt, 2000

Synonymy and references. Haliclona (Soestella) lehnerti de Weerdt, 2000: 33, figs. 3N, 18.

Material. USNM 1229108, Carrie Bow Cay East, forereef cave, 18 m; K. Ruetzler col. 19 May 1979.

External morphology. Cushions encrusting and nested into coral rubble and crevices, partly covered by crustose coralline algae, about 30 ml in total volume. Lumpy surface, cavernous inside, firm and brittle consistency. Oscula circular and elevated, up to 4 mm diameter. Color reddish purple at the exposed surfaces, offwhite to cream inside.

Skeleton structure. The ectosome shows a paucispicular reticulation, the choanosome is a paucispicular meshwork with sporadic, ill-defined tracts.

Spicules. Slightly curved oxeas with sharp points: 130–160 x 4–8 (151 x 6) Μm.

Ecology. Known from reef caves, 8– 18 m.

Distribution. So far only found in Jamaica and Belize.

Comments. We did not observe meandering aquiferous canals mentioned by the species’ author (de Weerdt, 2000) but our specimen arrived as part of a rock sample and was not observed alive.