Pinulasma, Reiswig & Stone, 2013

Reiswig, Henry M. & Stone, Robert P., 2013, <strong> New glass sponges (Porifera: Hexactinellida) from deep waters of the central Aleutian Islands, Alaska </ strong>, Zootaxa 3628 (1), pp. 1-64 : 15

Subfamily Chonelasmatinae Schrammen

Genus Pinulasma n. gen.

Type species: Pinulasma fistulosum n. sp.

Genus diagnosis. Chonelasmatinae of funnel form with hollow tubular fistules covering the lateral body surface, produced by crenulate growth at atrial margin. Fistules open to the atrial cavity but in life closed distally by dense network of unfused spicules; after death fistules also open distally. Primary layer with longitudinally elongate rectangular meshes with transverse-radial connecting beams aligned to form dictyonal lamellae; longitudinal strands present. Thin secondary cortices developed both on dermal and atrial sides with shallow epirhyses but no aporhyses. Dermalia and atrialia are pinular hexactins with proximal rays of greatly varying length. Other megascleres include pentactins, regular hexactins, diactins, tauactins, two classes of scopules, and uncinates. Microscleres are mainly discohexactins and oxyhexactins but a few hemidiscohexasters and hemioxyhexasters also occur.

Etymology. The name Pinulasma is here proposed as an arbitrary combination of letters. It is formed to be both euphonious and relatable to the genus Chonelasma , which was presumably formed from “chone” = funnel (Gk.) and “elasma” = plate (Gk.). The new name is formed to specify pinular dermalia and atrialia as a characteristic of its members. The gender is neuter.

Remarks. It is not possible to accommodate the new species described below in any of the presently recognized genera of Chonelasmatinae without seriously modifying the diagnosis of the selected genus. The main incompatibilities are body form and presence and shape of surface pinular hexactins. Among present genera, pinular hexactins occur only in Bathyxiphus Schulze (1899) , with a blade-like body, one species of Chonelasma Schulze (1886) , C. doederleini Schulze, 1886 with plate-form body, and Tretochone Reid (1958) with ear-like body. In detail shape of the pinular hexactins, those of the new species are markedly unlike those of all the above genera and species.