Geodia megastrella var. laevispina Carter, 1876

Van Soest, Rob W. M., 2024, Correcting sponge names: nomenclatural update of lower taxa level Porifera, Zootaxa 5398 (1), pp. 1-122 : 56

Geodia megastrella var. laevispina Carter, 1876

( Fig. 5N )

Geodia megastrella var. laevispina Carter, 1876: 401 , pl. XVI fig. 47.

Geodia megastrella var. levispina (sic); Sollas 1888: 248.

The variety was described by Carter as a small fragment from Porcupine 1870 cruise Stat. 24, a few miles N of Cape Vincent, 37.3157°N 9.2167°W, depth 534 m. A type slide, here selected as lectotype, is registered as BMNH 1954.3.9.535. The variety is stated to be different from the typical variety (also from Cape St. Vincent, but from Porcupine 1870 cruise Stat. 25, 37.1833°N 9.1167°W, depth 684 m, holotype BMNH 1882.7.28.128) by having smooth oxyasters instead of spined oxyasters, and truncate ectosomal ‘chiasters’. Also, dichotriaenes were apparently absent in the var. laevispina . This variety was ignored by most authors reporting on Geodia megastrella , probably because Sollas (1888: 248) declared the fragment to be too small to assess the full spicule complement. In view of this and the fact that the varieties were collected at close proximity and depth off Cape St. Vincent, Portugal, I propose to merge for the time being the varieties into a single species, Geodia megastrella Carter, 1876 .

Figures

FIGURE 5. A. Axinella profunda var. kurushima Tanita, 1961: pl. IV fig. 14, B. Raspailia fruticosa var. tenuiramosa Dendy, 1905: pl. VIII fig. 5, C. Acanthella aculeata var. inconspicua Thiele, 1898: 54, pl. III fig. 6, D. Hymeraphia geniculata Topsent, 1892: 115, pl. I fig. 13, E–F. Ancorina radix f. nanosclera Lévi, 1967, E. habitus pl. XVIII fig. 3, F. spicules text-fig. 13, G–H. Craniella cranium f. microspira Lévi, 1967, G. habitus pl. XIX fig. 2, H. spicules text-fig. 19, I. Craniella globosa var. anamonaena Tanita, 1968: text-fig. 15, J. Discodermia emarginata var. lamellaris Wilson, 1925: pl. 43 fig. 5, K. Geodia ataxastra var. angustana Von Lendenfeld, 1910: pl. 44 fig. 25, L. Geodia hilgendorfi var. granosa Thiele, 1898: pl. VI figs. 4i–k, M. Geodia japonica var. spherulifera Wilson, 1925: pl. 38 fig. 1, N. Geodia megastrella var. laevispina Carter, 1876: pl. XVI fig. 47.