Tedania (Tedaniopsis) oxeata Topsent, 1916

(Figure 8g –j)

Restricted synonymy: Tedania oxeata Topsent, 1916 .

Material examined: 2 specimens collected at station 4 (SOI; 60°55' S, 44°04'W; 256 m; 2/3/2014; MACN-In 44400; IEO-CSIC Col.) .

Description: massive sponge, cavernous, soft, porous, beige in colour. Ectosome only evident in some parts of the specimens as a thin layer composed of a palisade of tornotes. Spicules are oxeas 480–720 µm by 20–35 µm, tornotes 480–550 µm by 10–20 µm and two categories of raphides 400–500 µm and 75–85 µm (Figure 8 g-j).

Remarks: This is an unusual Tedania species, having oxeas as the main megascleres, instead of styles. It has been recorded from several Antarctic regions (e.g. Koltun 1964; Burton 1929, 1932; Desqueyroux 1975; Ríos 2006), but this finding represents the first record for the SOI.