Aaptos aaptos var. nigra Topsent, 1934

Van Soest, Rob W. M., 2024, Correcting sponge names: nomenclatural update of lower taxa level Porifera, Zootaxa 5398 (1), pp. 1-122 : 80

Aaptos aaptos var. nigra Topsent, 1934

Aaptos aaptos var. nigra Topsent, 1934: 31 (no illustration).

The variety was described by Topsent from Bordj Djelidj, Gulf of Gabès, Tunisia, 33.8868°N 10.7468°E, shallow depth (type material presumably in MNHN). Described as black throughout, cementing oyster valves. The normal colour of the typical variety of Aaptos aaptos ( Schmidt, 1864: 33, pl. IV fig. 11, as Ancorina , from the Adriatic, lectotype LMJG 15705, cf. above) is red-brown or grey-brown, with yellow interior. No details are provided by Topsent on the skeleton and the spicules. The black colour throughout is possibly caused by contamination by an Aplysina specimen. Since only two species of Aaptos are known from the Mediterranean, it is likely that this variety is conspecific with Aaptos aaptos ( Schmidt, 1864) .

The name combination appears to be a senior primary homonym of Aaptos aaptos var. nigra Lévi, 1961b from Nha Trang, SE Vietnam (but see above) and of Aaptos niger Hoshino, 1981b from Uchinoura, Japan (see below). Hoshino’s description differs from A. lobata Calcinai et al., 2017 in being definitely black and very hard, so A. lobata cannot be realistically considered a likely replacement name. Hoshino’s name Aaptos niger (ICZN art. 60) must be replaced and I propose Aaptos hoshinoi nom.nov. (see below).