Gelliodes Ridley, 1884

Sitjà, Cèlia & Maldonado, Manuel, 2014, New and rare sponges from the deep shelf of the Alboran Island (Alboran Sea, Western Mediterranean), Zootaxa 3760 (2), pp. 141-179 : 171

Genus Gelliodes Ridley, 1884

Diagnosis. Thickly incrusting to massive, tubular growth form, intricately branching, long cylindrical stems irregularly ramified and anastomosing at points of contact (single branches attain a length of about 100 mm), rampant or erect, arising from a common basal portion. Oscules usually numerous, unevenly scattered over the surface and often conspicuous. Surface uneven, membranous, strongly aculeated at intervals of about 2–5mm, sustained by strong, slender, sharp ramified spines, 2–3 mm long surface may be also ridged or tuberculate or smooth, and finely hispid or velvety. Texture very hard. Ectosomal skeleton is a tangential network of secondary fibres, free oxeas and abundant sigmas, often interrupted by the ends of the strong primary longitudinal fibres protruding from the choanosomal skeleton to form the spines. Choanosomal skeleton composed of primary longitudinal-radial multispicular and ramified primary fibres, distinct and very compact. Primary fibres form rectangular to rounded meshes, subdivided irregularly by secondary fibres, and mesh containing abundant free spicules. Megascleres consist of robust oxeas with sharp apices. Microscleres are abundant sigmata (sensu Desqueyroux-Fáundez & Valentine 2002).