Discodermia emarginata var. lamellaris Wilson, 1925

Van Soest, Rob W. M., 2024, Correcting sponge names: nomenclatural update of lower taxa level Porifera, Zootaxa 5398 (1), pp. 1-122 : 54

Discodermia emarginata var. lamellaris Wilson, 1925

( Fig. 5J )

Discodermia emarginata var. lamellaris Wilson, 1925: 456 , pl. 43 fig. 5.

The variety was described by Wilson from Cabugan Grande Island, Eastern Philippines, Albatross Stat. 5482, 10.4583°N 125.3°E, depth 123 m (holotype USNM 21260 and paratype 21261).The illustrations of the type material of the typical variety by Dendy (1905: 99, from Gulf of Mannar, Sri Lanka, approximate coordinates 9°N 79°E, BMNH 1925.11.1.1250) and Wilson’s (1925) specimens of the variety lamellaris are poor: Dendy gave only drawings of the spicules, Wilson merely stated his specimen was similar to Dendy’s. The var. lamellaris rests upon two features, the foremost being a more elaborate lamellate shape (vs a ’massive’ or ‘amorphous’ shape in the typical variety), and the length of the microrhabds (12–18 µm in the typical variety, 8–40 µm in the var. lamellaris ). The shape differences between the varieties are unclear due to lack of illustrations, and the microrhabd lengths are notoriously variable in the family Theonellidae . I propose to merge the variety lamellaris with the typical variety to a single species Discodermia emarginata Dendy, 1905 .

Figures

FIGURE 5. A. Axinella profunda var. kurushima Tanita, 1961: pl. IV fig. 14, B. Raspailia fruticosa var. tenuiramosa Dendy, 1905: pl. VIII fig. 5, C. Acanthella aculeata var. inconspicua Thiele, 1898: 54, pl. III fig. 6, D. Hymeraphia geniculata Topsent, 1892: 115, pl. I fig. 13, E–F. Ancorina radix f. nanosclera Lévi, 1967, E. habitus pl. XVIII fig. 3, F. spicules text-fig. 13, G–H. Craniella cranium f. microspira Lévi, 1967, G. habitus pl. XIX fig. 2, H. spicules text-fig. 19, I. Craniella globosa var. anamonaena Tanita, 1968: text-fig. 15, J. Discodermia emarginata var. lamellaris Wilson, 1925: pl. 43 fig. 5, K. Geodia ataxastra var. angustana Von Lendenfeld, 1910: pl. 44 fig. 25, L. Geodia hilgendorfi var. granosa Thiele, 1898: pl. VI figs. 4i–k, M. Geodia japonica var. spherulifera Wilson, 1925: pl. 38 fig. 1, N. Geodia megastrella var. laevispina Carter, 1876: pl. XVI fig. 47.