Craniella cranium f. microspira Lévi, 1967 (Muller, 1776)

Van Soest, Rob W. M., 2024, Correcting sponge names: nomenclatural update of lower taxa level Porifera, Zootaxa 5398 (1), pp. 1-122 : 53

Craniella cranium f. microspira Lévi, 1967

( Figs. 5 G-H)

Craniella cranium f. microspira Lévi, 1967: 252 , pl. XVIII fig. 3, text-fig. 19.

The forma was described by Lévi from South Africa, Stat. TRA101F, near Mossel Bay, 34.41667°S 21.5°E, depth not given (holotype) and Stat. TRA55K, off Still Bay, 34.66664°S 21.58333°E, depth 70–77 m (paratypes). Distinctive characters for this form are the color (burgundy as opposed to pale yellow-white in the typical form), long surface projections (1 mm or more vs. only very small in the typical form), the cortical oxeas are stocky and anisoactinal (instead of isoactinal and symmetrical) and the sigmaspires are only 5–8 µm in size (9–20 µm in the typical form). Lévi stated that these differences are not sufficient for species distinction, but in view of the sympatric South African occurrence of typical Craniella cranium (M̧ller, 1776) (cf. Lévi 1967: 251), the status of this ‘forma’ is not likely to be “sous-spécifique” ( Lévi 1967: 253). I propose to elevate the forma to the rank of species. Since Lévi’s name is published after 1961, authorship for the new combination falls to the present author (ICZN 15.2). To avoid unnecessary confusion, I maintain Lévi’s combination Craniella microspira nom.nov., with type material and type locality fixed here:

Holotype, MNHN-IP-2015-1065 (wet fragment), South Africa, Stat. TRA101F, near Mossel Bay , 34.41667°S 21.5°E, depth not given (Google Earth gives 39 m), March 1956.

Paratypes, MNHN-IP-2015-1064 (two wet fragments), South Africa, Stat. TRA55K, off Still Bay , 34.66664°S 21.58333°E, depth 70–77 m, February 28, 1952 .

One additional paratype from Stat. FAL369 (34.15417°S 18.77667°E, depth 30 m) has not been located so far.

Figures

FIGURE 5. A. Axinella profunda var. kurushima Tanita, 1961: pl. IV fig. 14, B. Raspailia fruticosa var. tenuiramosa Dendy, 1905: pl. VIII fig. 5, C. Acanthella aculeata var. inconspicua Thiele, 1898: 54, pl. III fig. 6, D. Hymeraphia geniculata Topsent, 1892: 115, pl. I fig. 13, E–F. Ancorina radix f. nanosclera Lévi, 1967, E. habitus pl. XVIII fig. 3, F. spicules text-fig. 13, G–H. Craniella cranium f. microspira Lévi, 1967, G. habitus pl. XIX fig. 2, H. spicules text-fig. 19, I. Craniella globosa var. anamonaena Tanita, 1968: text-fig. 15, J. Discodermia emarginata var. lamellaris Wilson, 1925: pl. 43 fig. 5, K. Geodia ataxastra var. angustana Von Lendenfeld, 1910: pl. 44 fig. 25, L. Geodia hilgendorfi var. granosa Thiele, 1898: pl. VI figs. 4i–k, M. Geodia japonica var. spherulifera Wilson, 1925: pl. 38 fig. 1, N. Geodia megastrella var. laevispina Carter, 1876: pl. XVI fig. 47.