Gelliodes carnosa var. laxa Dendy, 1922

Van Soest, Rob W. M., 2024, Correcting sponge names: nomenclatural update of lower taxa level Porifera, Zootaxa 5398 (1), pp. 1-122 : 34

Gelliodes carnosa var. laxa Dendy, 1922

( Fig. 3H )

Gelliodes carnosa var. laxa Dendy, 1922: 29 , pl. 2 fig. 1.

The variety was described by Dendy from Cargados Carajos, approximate coordinates 16.5667°S 59.6167°E, depth 48 m, and from Amirante, Seychelles (with syntypes BMNH 1921.11.7.16, and 1925.11.1.934 & 1177). The typical variety from Tuticorin, Gulf of Mannar, approximate coordinates 8.9°N 78.2°E (syntypes BMNH 1889.1.21.6, 44–45 & 78) as described by Dendy (1889: 83) appears rather more similar to the var. laxa than to the specimen pictured and described by Dendy (1905: 137, pl. VII fig. 5, from Cod Bay, Trincomalee, Sri Lanka, approximate coordinates 8°57N 81.2°E), as it is more squat and its oxeas are indicated to become ‘vestigial’. Although the 1889 type description is not accompanied by an illustration of the habitus, it does not seem to be clearly different in shape and skeletal features from the var. laxa . I believe the three reports of this species by Dendy (twice named Gelliodes carnosa , once given the varietal name laxa) are all conspecific and represent variations of the same Central and Western Indian Ocean Gelliodes species. Accordingly, I propose here to merge the var. laxa and the typical variety into a single species, Gelliodes carnosa Dendy, 1889 .

Figures

FIGURE 3. A. Amorphina grossa f. latissima Czerniavsky, 1880: pl. III (VII) fig. 23a, B–E. Callyspongia rigida Desqueyroux- Faúndez, 1984, B. spicules fig. 25, C. habitus fig. 182, D– E. skeleton figs. 183–184, F. Chalinissa elongata var. tenuispicula Thum, 1903: figs. 8–9, G. Gelliodes benedeni var. fortior Topsent, 1917: pl. VI fig. 22, H. Gelliodes carnosa var. laxa Dendy, 1922: pl. 2 fig. 1, I. Gellius carduus and G. carduus var. magellanica Ridley & Dendy, 1886, Ridley & Dendy, 1887: pl. XIII figs. 6–7, J. Gellius glacialis var. nivea Ridley & Dendy, 1886, Ridley & Dendy, 1887: pl. VIII fig. 8, K. Gellius raphidiophorus Brøndsted, 1933: fig. 7, L. Sigmadocia tubuloramosus; Bergquist & Warne, 1980: pl. 9a.