Stelletta horrens var. subcylindrica Burton, 1926

Van Soest, Rob W. M., 2024, Correcting sponge names: nomenclatural update of lower taxa level Porifera, Zootaxa 5398 (1), pp. 1-122 : 61

Stelletta horrens var. subcylindrica Burton, 1926

Stelletta horrens var. subcylindrica Burton, 1926: 4 (no illustration).

The variety was described by Burton from the Natal coast off Sandy Point, South Africa, 29.7367°S 31.3458°E, depth 91 m (holotype BMNH 1924.5.15 with slide BMNH 1924.5.1.79). It differs from the typical variety, S. horrens Kirkpatrick (1902: 229 , pl. II fig. 6, pl. III fig. 6, from close-by Durnford Point, Natal coast, South Africa, 28.9167°S 31.925°E, depth 165 m, holotype BMNH 1902.2.13.9), in size and shape, but all skeletal and other features are the same in both. Because the present variety was much smaller than the typical variety, Burton himself suggested the difference in shape (thickly cylindrical with apical depression in the present variety vs. a wide cup in the typical variety) could be age-related and they could be specimens of the same species. I propose to merge the varieties into a single species to be named Stelletta horrens Kirkpatrick, 1902 .