Monorhaphis chuni Schulze, 1904

Tabachnick, Konstantin, Fromont, Jane, Ehrlich, Hermann & Menshenina, Larisa, 2019, Hexactinellida from the Perth Canyon, Eastern Indian Ocean, with descriptions of five new species, Zootaxa 4664 (1), pp. 47-82 : 52-53

Monorhaphis chuni Schulze, 1904

Material examined. Australia: Western Australia: WAM Z88465, small fragments, Perth Canyon (31 o 57’54’’S, 115 o 06’18’’E to 31 o 56’59”S, 115 o 07’05”E, Figure 1 ), 928–1170 m, J. Fromont and C. Whisson, sled, 30/11/2005, RV Southern Surveyor station SS1005/073 ; WAM Z88496, small fragments, Perth Canyon (31 o 58’17’’S, 115 o 06’00’’E to 31 o 57’19”S, 115 o 06’50”E, Figure 1 ), 848–1050 m, J. Fromont and C. Whisson, sled, 29/11/2005, RV Southern Surveyor station SS1005/071 .

Description. The material is represented by small fragments of sponge bodies mixed with Euplectella and Hyalonema fragments.

Remarks. The spicule set is typical for the genus and species ( Tabachnick & Lévi, 2000; Tabachnick, 2002a). Rare barrel-shaped amphidiscs found in some representatives of the genus were seen in the slide preparations.

Distribution. Previously reported from the Western Pacific and Western Indian Ocean with northern Zanzibar being the type locality. These records from the Perth Canyon reduce the disjunct distribution between the two oceans, and also extend the distribution further south.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map of Perth Canyon. Triangles are RV Falkor stations and circles are RV Southern Surveyor stations.