Leucosolenia blanca var. brevicaulis Topsent, 1936

Van Soest, Rob W. M., 2024, Correcting sponge names: nomenclatural update of lower taxa level Porifera, Zootaxa 5398 (1), pp. 1-122 : 92-93

Leucosolenia blanca var. brevicaulis Topsent, 1936

( Fig. 10E )

Leucosolenia blanca var. brevicaulis Topsent, 1936: 10 , fig. 4.

The variety was erected by Topsent for specimens of Clathrina blanca (as Leucosolenia ) from Banyuls, Mediterranean coast of France, 42.4774°N 3.1575°E, no depth given (type material not identified but presumably kept in MNHN), that do not form clathroid anastomosing bodies, but instead retain a cormus of branching tubes on a short stalk. These ‘olynthus’ bushes are assumed to be juvenile or poorly developed shapes ultimately changing to the characteristic stalked globular bodies of the Guancha - type of Miklucho-Maclay (1868). The shape of the short stalk of the variety differs from the less conspicuous stalk of the juvenile ‘olynthus’ shapes of the typical variety C. blanca (described by Miklucho-Maclay (as Guancha ) from the intertidal zone of Arrecife, Lanzarote, Canary Islands, approximate coordinates 28.5°N 16.6667°W, type material not identified), which grade more unabruptly into a thin tube shape.

Topsent contrasted his discussion of C. blanca to Burton’s (1930c: 2) attempt to lump a large set of Clathrina species of various shapes, spicule dimensions and geographic origins into a single species which he named C. macleayi ( Von Lendenfeld, 1885 as Ascetta ). Van Soest & De Voogd (2015: 16–17, fig. 9) examined one of the Indonesian specimens described by Burton (1930c) as C. macleayi and concluded that they belonged to C. stipitata ( Dendy, 1891: 51 as Leucosolenia ) rather than to C. macleayi . The contrasting views make it difficult to decide the status of the various forms, which induces me to consider the named forms as potentially valid until a gene sequence-assisted analysis has been performed. Accordingly, I propose to elevate the variety to the rank of species as Clathrina brevicaulis ( Topsent, 1936) .

Figures

FIGURE 10. A. Suberites microstomus var. stellatus Kirkpatrick, 1908: pl. XV figs. 10, 13, B. Suberites rugosa Kim & Sim, 2021: fig. 7, C. Suberites tortuosa var. austral Cuartas, 1986: fig. 14, D. Leucosolenia blanca var. bathybia Poléjaeff, 1883: pl. I fig. 2, E. Leucosolenia blanca var. brevicaulis Topsent, 1936: fig. 4, F. Grantia ciliata var. spinispiculum; Carter, 1884: pl. VIII, G–I. Leucandra donnani var. tenuiradiata Dendy, 1916, G–H. habitus pl. I figs. 4a–b, I. spicules pl. II figs. 9a–d, J. Leucandra gossei var. mahonica Topsent, 1937b: fig. 1, K. Leucandra regina var. regularis Brøndsted, 1927b: fig. 12.