Leucandra ornata, Klautau & Lopes & Tavares & Pérez, 2022

Klautau, Michelle, Lopes, Matheus Vieira, Tavares, Gabriela & Pérez, Thierry, 2022, Integrative taxonomy of calcareous sponges (Porifera: Calcarea) from Réunion Island, Indian Ocean, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 194, pp. 671-725 : 710

LEUCANDRA ORNATA SP. NOV.

( FIGS 22–25; TABLE 11)

Z o o b a n k r e g i s t r a t i o n: u r n: l s i d: z o o b a n k. org:act: 2F2F2C38-A216-4B1F-8A04-7CAA93B8F0EC.

Diagnosis: Leucandra with spined microdiactines in the cortical and in the atrial skeletons. The cortical microdiactines are frequently organized forming bouquets. Large cortical diactines are also present, along with cortical triactines. The choanosome contains regular triactines and sagittal triactines and tetractines. The atrial skeleton has microdiactines with spines and tetractines.

Etymology: From the Latin ornatum, ornate or decorated, for the presence of many diactines on the surface of this species.

Type locality: Cap La Houssaye Reef , La Réunion, Indian Ocean .

Ty p e m a t e r i a l: H o l o t y p e – U F R J P O R 8 9 2 8 (= 171108- CAH2 -TP2, Photos: TP5973–5975). Cap La Houssaye Reef , La Réunion, Indian Ocean, coll. T. Pérez, 8 November 2017, 10 m depth .

Colour: White alive ( Fig. 22A) and after fixation ( Fig. 22B).

Morphology and anatomy: Sponge vase-shaped with apical osculum surrounded by a crown of trichoxeas ( Figs 22A, B, 24A) supported by sagittal triactines and tetractines ( Fig. 23A). Surface hispid because of several large diactines protruding through the surface ( Figs 22A, B, 23C, 24B). The aquiferous system is leuconoid. The cortical skeleton is composed of tangential triactines, large diactines and microdiactines protruding through the surface ( Figs 22A, B, 23C, D, 24C). The cortical microdiactines form bouquets or lie tangentially to the cortex ( Figs 23D, 24C). The choanosome contains large and small triactines. These small triactines are found spread in the choanosome or surrounding the canals, although tetractines are the main spicules in the canals ( Fig. 23E). The atrial skeleton is composed of tetractines and microdiactines tangential to the atrium ( Figs 23F, 24D).