Oceanapia bartschi

Rützler, Klaus, Piantoni, Carla, Van, Rob W. M. & Díaz, Cristina, 2014, Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay, Zootaxa 3805 (1), pp. 1-129 : 89-90

Oceanapia bartschi (de Laubenfels, 1934)

Synonymy and references. Oceanapia bartschi (de Laubenfels, 1934): Campos et al. (2005): 11, figs. 7A–F, Tab. 3.

Material. USNM 1229133, Curlew Bank forereef cave, 20 m; C. Piantoni col. 28 Jun 2007. USNM 1229134, Curlew Bank forereef cave, 20 m; C. Piantoni col. 29 Jun 2007.

External morphology. Spherical specimen, 5 cm diameter, with eight fistules (distally closed) and oscular tubes protruding. These fistular processes reach 25 mm in height, 5 mm in diameter. The surface, where not covered by epizoans, is leathery smooth, the consistency firm but elastic, compressible. Color is purplish gray to brown.

Skeleton structure. The ectosome of the body shows tangentially positioned spicules, some arranged in tracts. The choanosome is supported by a network of thick (50–150 Μm) fibers cored densely by spicules. Spicule tracts in the fistules also form meshes but are more delicate and there are more loose spicules, without particular orientation.

Spicules. These are slender strongyles, slightly curved, many having the bend one third of the length from one end. There is only one size class, some of the thinner ones seem to be developmental stages: 275–310 x 5–13 (265 x 8) Μm.

Ecology. Most of the body was encrusted by another sponge, the bright orange red Hymedesmia (H.) agariciicola , both collected from a forereef cave, 20 m; elsewhere on forereefs to more than 80 m depth.

Distribution. Gulf of Mexico, Caribbean, northeastern Brazil.