Stylocordyla borealis var. irregularis Hentschel, 1914

Van Soest, Rob W. M., 2024, Correcting sponge names: nomenclatural update of lower taxa level Porifera, Zootaxa 5398 (1), pp. 1-122 : 85

Stylocordyla borealis var. irregularis Hentschel, 1914

( Fig. 9E )

Stylocordyla borealis var. irregularis Hentschel, 1914: 55 , pl. IV fig. 2.

The variety was described by Hentschel from Gauss Station, 66.0358°S 89.6333°E, depth 385 m (holotype ZMB 4840). It has the shape and skeletal structure of the North Atlantic species Stylocordyla borealis ( Loven, 1868 as Hyalonema ) (for locality and type data cf. above S. borealis var. acuata ), but the ectosomal palisade consists of three types of spicules, microxeas, microstyles and curved microstrongyles. It appears only a minor difference, which remains to be further confirmed as more than spicular variation. For the time being I propose to recognize the variety as an Antarctic subspecies of the predominantly Arctic-boreal S. borealis , to be named Stylocordyla borealis subsp. irregularis Hentschel, 1914 , and the Arctic-boreal subspecies to be named S. borealis subsp. borealis ( Loven, 1868) (with junior synonym S. borealis subsp. typica Burton, 1934c , a.o. from Jackson Island, East Greenland, 73.9°N 20°W). Bergquist’s (1972: 130) record of S. borealis likely belongs to the present subspecies.

Figures

FIGURE 9. A–B. Reniera velamentosa Hansen, 1885, A. habitus pl. I fig. 10, B. spicules pl. VI fig. 3, C. Spuma borealis var. velamentosa Miklucho-Maclay, 1870: pl. II fig. 30, D. Stylocordyla borealis var. acuata Kirkpatrick, 1908: pl. XVI figs. 6–10, E. Stylocordyla borealis var. irregularis Hentschel, 1914: pl. IV fig. 2, F–G. Stylocordyla stipitata var. globosa Ridley & Dendy, 1886; Ridley & Dendy, 1887, F. habitus pl. XLIII fig. 10, G. skeleton of body text-fig. 9, H. Suberites carnosus depressus Topsent, 1900: pl. VII fig. 4, I. Suberites hirsutus; Topsent, 1928: pl. VI fig. 5, J. Suberites hirsutus sensu Johnston, 1841: pl. XVI fig. 1, K. Suberites hirsutus sensu Fleming, 1828: from Cordiner, 1788: fig. 27.