Geodia variospiculosa Thiele, 1898

Van Soest, Rob W. M., 2024, Correcting sponge names: nomenclatural update of lower taxa level Porifera, Zootaxa 5398 (1), pp. 1-122 : 56

Geodia variospiculosa Thiele, 1898

Geodia variospiculosa Thiele, 1898: 10 , pl. VI figs. 6a–l; Von Lendenfeld 1910: 55; Sim 1982: 1, pl. 1 figs. 1–6; Hoshino 1987: 2 (listed only); Ise 2017: 368 (listed only).

The species was described by Thiele from Yogashima, Japan, approximate coordinates 34.75N 137.06°E, depth not given (type material not found, not in ZMB, not in MZS or in the Basel Museum). Thiele described a variety clavigera also from Japan (cf. below), without locality data. Subsequent authors described an additional four varieties ( var. intermedia , micraster , and typica Von Lendenfeld, 1910: 55 ; var. aapta Lebwohl, 1914: 57 ). The varieties are all five similar to the typical variety of Thiele (1898) and all originate from Japan, but differ in the dimensions of the triaenes, oxeas and asters (notably the size of the choanosomal oxyasters), and the presence of a minority of spicular form variations (notably tylostyle-like megascleres), which are not uncommon in other Geodia species (cf. Von Lendenfeld’s (1910: 69–71) spicule tables of the varieties, Lebwohl’s var. aapta excepted). Still, the basic pattern of skeleton and spiculation is essentially the same and the existence of five distinct taxa sympatric with the typical variety is judged to be unlikely. I propose to merge all varieties into a single species Geodia variospiculosa Thiele, 1898 .