Mycale (Aegogropila) furcata 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) furcata Calcinai et al. 2013

Mycale (Aegogropila) furcata Calcinai et al., 2013: 41 , figs 25A–F, 26A–F.

Summary description (from Calcinai et al. 2013). Smooth white-transparent sponge very thinly encrusting on Paratelesto (Octocorallia) , size 13–16 cm in lateral expansion. Choanosomal skeleton plumoreticulate, tangential ectosomal skeleton with thin tracts interconnected by single spicules. Rosettes of anisochelae I present on the tracts. Mycalostyles small and straight, 140–190 x 2–4 µm, anisochelae I averaging 28.5 µm, anisochelae II averaging 13.3 µm, both well developed and lower median alae provided with upward pointing protrusion, anisochelae II narrowshaped, sigmas in two size categories, I often with bifid ending, 53–88 µm, with thickness 2–5 µm, II very thin, 25–36 µm, and toxas faintly curved (raphidotoxas), 51–223 µm.

Distribution. North Sulawesi, Indonesia, depth unknown.

Comment. This is one of several Mycale species with raphidotoxas ( M. (Ae.) erythraean a (cf. above), M. (Ae.) mannarensis (cf. below), M. (Carmia) raphidiophora (cf. below). M. (C.) rhaphidotoxa (cf. below), M. (C.) suezza (cf. below) and a new species described below. Among these, the present species stands out in having short mycalostyles, which is the only clear difference with M. (Ae.) erythraeana , discussed above. A close comparison of the type material of all these species is warranted to confirm they are valid separate species.