Myxilla (Burtonanchora) lissostyla Burton, 1938

Schejter, Laura, Cristobo, Javier & Ríos, Pilar, 2024, New records of demosponges (Porifera) from the South Orkney Islands (Antarctica) with a checklist for the region, Zootaxa 5403 (4), pp. 401-430 : 415-416

Myxilla (Burtonanchora) lissostyla Burton, 1938

( Figure 7b–f )

Restricted synonymy: Myxilla lissostyla Burton, 1938 .

Material examined: 1 specimen collected at station 7 ( SOI; 61°00'S, 46°44'W; 609 m; 3/3/2014; MACN-In 44394; IEO-CSIC Col.) .

Description: Erect and cavernous sponge with a rough surface, beige in colour, attached to a dead mollusc shell ( Fig. 7b ). Skeleton of axes of plurispicular megascleres, connected by perpendicular secondary axes. Megascleres are styles of 720–900 µm by 30 µm and tylotes with spined ends of 325–340 µm. Microscleres are anchorate chelae with 3 or 4 short, pointed teeth, 75–100 µm. Developing anchorate chelae were also observed ( Fig. 7c–f ).

Remarks: This species was previously recorded from Antarctic waters by Burton (1938), Ríos et al. (2004), Ríos & Cristobo (2007b), Desqueyroux (1975), Koltun (1964) and Barthel et al. (1990). This finding represents the first record for the SOI region.

Figures

FIGURE 7. a. Myxilla (Myxilla) mollis, general morphology, scale: 3 cm; b–f. Myxilla (B.) lissostyla, b. general morphology, scale: 2 cm; c. chela, scale: 50 µm; d. chela, scale: 30 µm; e. tylote, scale: 55 µm; f. style, scale: 110 µm; g–k. Myxodoryx hanitschi, g. general morphology, scale: 2 cm; h. style, scale: 80 µm; i. tornote, scale: 45 µm; j. acanthostyle, scale: 65 µm; k. acanthostyle, scale: 25 µm.