Pericharax heteroraphis (Poléjaeff, 1883)

Borojevic, Radovan & Klautau, Michelle, 2000, Calcareous sponges from New Caledonia, Zoosystema 22 (2), pp. 187-201 : 195-196

Pericharax heteroraphis (Poléjaeff, 1883)

Pericharax carteri var. heteroraphis Poléjaeff, 1883 .

MATERIAL EXAMINED. — Several very large specimens from localities 169 and 213.

LOCALITIES. — Passe de la Sarcelle, stn 169. – Kouaré Island, south coast, stn 213, 30 m.

DESCRIPTION

The collection contains a few large specimens reaching up to 10 cm in height. They are massive and lobose, with the external surface thrown into irregular folds. The texture is firm. The external surface is smooth but harsh, while the atrial surface is spiny. The organisation is typical of the genus. The choanosome is leuconoid with only a few rather large exhalant canals opening to the wide central atrium. It contains numerous triactines of two very different sizes. The atrial skeleton contains tetractines, with a short apical actine. The characteristic subcortical inhalant chambers are supported by a very thick skeleton of small triactines with irregularly bent actines.

Spicules

Giant triactines, regular, measuring 730 (± 139) / 64 (± 12) µm. Small triactines, regular, measuring 140 (± 23) / 12 (± 2) µm. In the atrial wall, tetractines have a basal system similar to the triactines, with an apical actine shorter than the basal ones. Curved irregular triactines or tripods of the cortical layer measure 64 (± 11) / 8 (± 1) µm.

REMARKS

Pericharax heteroraphis has been reported from Tristan da Cunha, the Indian Ocean and from the tropical Pacific regions (Great Barrier Reef, Indonesia).