Higgin, 1877 : 296
Iotrochota birotulata
Ridley 1884 : 443
Rützler et al. 2007c : 175
Sponges of the Guyana Shelf
Van, Rob W. M.
Zootaxa
2017
1
1
225
6MWZ7
Higgin, 1877
Higgin
1877
[151,588,797,823]
Demospongiae
Iotrochotidae
Iotrochota
Animalia
Poecilosclerida
142
143
Porifera
species
birotulata
Restricted synonymy:
Halichondria birotulata Higgin, 1877: 296, pl. 14 figs 11–15. Iotrochota birotulata; Ridley 1884: 443; Van Soest 2002: 598, with further synonyms); Rützler et al.2007c: 175, figs. 1–3.
Materialexamined. RMNHPor. 9940, Guyana, ‘Luymes’ GuyanaShelf Expedition, station 63, 7.5833°N 57.0667°W, depth 71 m, sandy bottom, 31 August 1970.
Description.Two ramose fragments ( Fig. 89a), each about 4 cmlong and 0.6–2 cmwide. Surface conulose, with an oscule of 3 mmin diameter. Color greyish black in alcohol. Consistency soft, fragile. Skeleton.Thick spongin-enforced spicule tracts, 70–200 µm in diameter, cored by 20–30 spicules form a reticulation with elongately squarish meshes of 300–500 x 200–300 µm. Nospecial ectosomal skeleton. Spicules.( Figs 89b–f) Styles, strongyles, birotules. Styles, smooth straight, with conical pointed end, occurring in a longer/thinner category ( Fig. 89b,b1), 232– 262–284 x 3– 4.6–6 µm, and a thicker/shorter category ( Fig. 89c), 178– 184–192 x 7– 9.0–10 µm. Strongyles, curved, smooth, variably in size and thickness, thicker ( Fig. 89d) and thinner ( Fig. 89e,e1) spicules about equally long, 138– 182–202 x 2– 5.4–7.5 µm. Birotules ( Fig. 89f), straight shaft, usually about 12 alae, quite uniform in size, 15– 16.2–18 µm.
Distribution and ecology. GuyanaShelf, Greater Caribbean, NE Brazil, on various bottoms at 0.1–90 mdepth ( GuyanaShelf 71 m).
Remarks.The specimen keys out in Rützler et al.’s 2007bkey as I. birotulata, having branching habitus and possessing birotules..
1424726521
1970-08-31
RMNH
Guyana
71
7.5833
Material
7
-57.0667
143
144
1