Raspailia (Raspaxilla) bouryesnaultae

Lerner, Cléa, Carraro, João L. & Soest, Rob Van, 2006, Raspailia (Raspaxilla) bouryesnaultae, a new name for Brazilian Raspaxilla elegans Boury­Esnault, 1973 (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida, Raspailiidae) with a redescription and a new record, Zootaxa 1129, pp. 37-45 : 39-42

Raspailia (Raspaxilla) bouryesnaultae n.n.

Raspaxilla elegans Boury­Esnault, 1973 : Campagne de la Calypso au large des côtes atlantiques de l’Amérique du Sud (1961–1962). I, 29. Spongiaires. Rés. sci. Camp. Calypso 10: 278, fig.29; pl.II, 4 (not Raspailia elegans Lendenfeld, 1887 as Anthorochalina, cf. Hooper & Wiedenmayer,1994)

Remark. We tried unsuccessfully to contact the present curator of MNHN, Paris, in order to examine the holotype. The presence of a slide from the holotype (previously obtained through the courtesy of Prof. Lévi, now retired) in ZMA allows the comparison between our material and that described by Boury­Esnault (1973).

Studied material. Brazil, Santa Catarina state: Coral Island. (27°56’00’’S 48°32’30’’W), 12m depth, 08/III/2001, MCNPOR 5058, coll. C. Lerner

Slide from Holotype of Raspaxilla elegans sensu Boury­Esnault,1973 . Brazil, Rio de Janeiro: MNHN D.NBE 1032 [ZMA Por. 17585].

Description of studied material (figs. 2–3). Arborescent growth form with secondary smaller ramifications arising from larger main branches. The main branches measures 5.5– 9.7 cm in length. The structure of the sponge is supported by a small peduncle that measures 2.2 cm diameter. Surface hispid, velvety. Consistency firm and flexible. Bright yellow colour in situ and dark orange in alcohol.

Skeleton (figs. 4–5). Axial plumo­reticulated skeleton made by styles. Axial bundles go from basal region towards the apex of each ramification of sponge body and protrude outwards. Extra­axial skeleton plumo­reticulated and complemented by the presence of bundles of anisoxeas in the ectosome. Acanthose rhabdostyles echinating bundles of styles and distributed through peripheral skeleton.

Spicules (figs. 6–10; tab.I). Megascleres are long, smooth and curved styles in a single category. Auxiliary megascleres are short acanthose rhabdostyles and thin anisoxeas; the latter restricted to the ectosomal region.

TABLE I. Spicular micrometric data for specimens of Raspailia (Raspaxilla) bouryesnaultae n.n. Measurements are given as ranges of length / width (MNHN D.NBE 1032) (N=25), or as smallest length­mean length­largest length/smallest width­mean width­largest width (MCNPOR5058) (N=100), all in micrometers.