Artemisina plumosa var. lipochela Hentschel, 1914

Van Soest, Rob W. M., 2024, Correcting sponge names: nomenclatural update of lower taxa level Porifera, Zootaxa 5398 (1), pp. 1-122 : 65

Artemisina plumosa var. lipochela Hentschel, 1914

Artemisina plumosa var. lipochela Hentschel, 1914: 72 (no illustration).

The variety was described by Hentschel from Gauss Station, Antarctica, 66.0333°S 89.6333°E, depth 380 m (two syntypes ZMB 4763), together with the typical variety from the same locality (holotype ZMB 4762). The two specimens were similar in shape, although Hentschel indicated that the var. lipochela was more definitely branching whereas the typical variety had somewhat ‘webbed’ branches. The main difference for which Hentschel erected the variety lipochela was the absence of chelae. Burton (1932: 323) reported A. plumosa from the Falkland Islands, where he synonymized A. plumosa var. lipochela with it. Burton (1934b: 34) reported Antarctic A. plumosa specimens with and without chelae, suggesting that loss of chelae occurred in mature, larger specimens. I will here follow Burton (1932) and propose to consider the variety lipochela a junior synonym of Artemisina plumosa Hentschel, 1914 .

Burton (1932: 323) (followed by Koltun 1964: 7) also synonymized Artemisina strongyla Hentschel, 1914 with A. plumosa but habit (cushion-shaped) and ectosomal spicules (strongylote with spines on both ends) appear to preclude this.