Mycale (Aegogropila) cf. lilianae sensu Calcinai et al. (2013)

Van, Rob W. M., Aryasari, Ratih & De, Nicole J., 2021, Mycale species of the tropical Indo-West Pacific (Porifera, Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida), Zootaxa 4912 (1), pp. 1-212 : 30

Mycale (Aegogropila) cf. lilianae sensu Calcinai et al. (2013)

Mycale (Aegogropila) cf. lilianae Carballo & Hajdu, 1998 ; Calcinai et al., 2013: 37

Summary description (from Calcinai et al. 2013). Thinly encrusting on soft coral, red in life, soft, with optically smooth surface. Ectosomal skeleton a reticulation of spicular tracts with 4–5 spicules in cross section. Choanosomal skeleton of thin ascending spicule tracts. Spicules mycalostyles with elongate heads, 240–280 x 5–10 µm, anisochelae I of 42.5–50 µm, arranged in rosettes, anisochelae II 22.5–27.5 µm, anisochelae III 12.5–17 µm, sigmas in two size categories, 92.5–117.5 x 5–11.5 µm and 17.5–27.5 µm, toxas 17.5–380 µm, micracanthoxeas 5–10 µm.

Distribution. Oahu, Hawaii Islands, 0.5–3 m depth.

Comments. The two specimens from Hawaii named Mycale (Aegogropila) cf. lilianae by Calcinai et al. 2013 are probably not conspecific with the Carballo & Hajdu’s (1998) species. Color of the Brazilian species was yelloworange, not red. The spicule complement is quite similar, although toxas are smaller in the Brazilian species, but with exception of the micracantoxeas that complement is also similar to that of Mycale (Ae.) orientalis (cf. above), making the similarity not a significant reason to consider the Hawaii material conspecific.

De Laubenfels (1951) described Carmia contarenii (Lieberk̹hn, 1859) from Hawaii (here reassigned to Mycale (Ae.) orientalis , cf. above), which could also turn out to be this species if we assume that the micracanthoxeas could have been overlooked (they are only reliably identified under SEM). We refrain from proposing a new name for Calcinai et al. ’s Hawaii material, but suggest that it is likely a species new to science.