Rowella mariae Lopes & Klautau, 2023

Lopes, Matheus Vieira & Klautau, Michelle, 2023, Phylogeny and revision of Leucaltis and Leucettusa (Porifera: Calcarea), with new classification proposals and description of a new type of aquiferous system, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 198, pp. 691-746 : 732

ROWELLA MARIAE ( BRØNDSTED, 1926) COMB. NOV.

( FIG. 24)

Synonyms: Leucettusa mariae – Brøndsted, 1926: 302; Burton, 1963: 555; Cavalcanti et al., 2013: 276; Leucascus mariae – Rapp, 2004: 124; Lanna et al., 2007: 1560.

Type specimen: Possible holotype – NHMD-89631/ CAL-242 (only pictures were analysed).

Type locality: Cape Maria van Diemen, New Zealand (34°24ʹ S, 172°30ʹ E; inaccurate coordinates). Three Kings – North Cape MEOW ecoregion .

Description ( Fig. 24A): Sponge body tubular, widen at the apical region and narrow at the base. External colour beige in ethanol. Consistency rough to the touch. Outer and atrial surfaces smooth. One big osculum is located on a depression at the apical region of the tube, surrounded by a membrane. Atrial cavity wide and spacious. The aquiferous system was not described by Brøndsted (1926), but it is probably leuconoid, as at that time Leucettusa was considered leuconoid.

Skeleton: Cortical skeleton well developed, having approximately the same thickness as the choanosome. It is comprised of several layers of tangential triactines. Choanosomal and atrial skeletons reduced, mostly devoid of spicules, but sparse pygmy triactines and tetractines can be found.