Stelletta clarella de Laubenfels, 1930

Turner, Thomas L. & Lonhart, Steve I., 2023, The Sponges of the Carmel Pinnacles Marine Protected Area, Zootaxa 5318 (2), pp. 151-194 : 189

Stelletta clarella de Laubenfels, 1930

Figure 25

Material examined. IZC00048471 , Inner Carmel Pinnacle (36.55852, -121.96820), 10–24 m , 9/22/21.

Morphology. Globular, 10 cm across, with 5 mm of spicule plush covering the outside and trapping copious debris. White alive and when preserved.

Skeleton. Not investigated.

Spicules. Oxeas, dichotriaenes, plagiotriaenes, oxyasters and spheroxyasters; abundant styles also present but presumed foreign.

Oxeas: 3881–4913–6118 x 15–35–63 μm (n=11).

Dichotriaenes: Shaft lengths 2444–4214–5549 x 54–71–91 μm (n=11); chord lengths 150–257–335 μm (n=14).

Plagiotriaenes: Shaft lengths 2334–3139–3944 x 23–57–76 μm (n=2); chord lengths 106–194–253 μm (n=6).

Oxyasters: 10–12–13 μm (n=9).

Spheroxyasters: Small and irregular, with minute spines. 4–5–7 μm (n=22).

Styles: Abundant but presumed to be foreign because they are not known from this species, and have not been seen in other samples examined by the authors. 162–187–216 x 4–5–6 μm (n=7).

Distribution and habitat. Common in Northern and Central California, from the intertidal to deep water. Occurs as far north as southern Alaska. Additional work is needed to determine if S. clarella is also found in Southern California (see Remarks). Not known from artificial substrates.

Remarks. Stelletta clarella was described from Pescadero Point, near the Carmel Pinnacles where this sample was collected, and is the only Stelletta known from Central California. A second species, S. estrella de Laubenfels 1930 , was described from Southern California, but this species was proposed to be a junior synonym of S. clarella by Bakus and Green (1987). Here we follow Lee (2007) and propose that S. estrella may be a junior synonym, but more work is needed to be sure.

Figures

FIGURE 25. Stelletta clarella. A: Field photo. B: Cross-section showing spicule plush. C: Dichotriaene; small foreign styles and abundant asters visible in the background. D: Oxyaster. E: Spheroxyasters. All images from IZC00048471.