Clathrina hondurensis Klautau & Valentine, 2003

Rützler, Klaus, Piantoni, Carla, Van, Rob W. M. & Díaz, Cristina, 2014, Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay, Zootaxa 3805 (1), pp. 1-129 : 101

Clathrina hondurensis Klautau & Valentine, 2003

Synonymy and references. Clathrina hondurensis Klautau & Valentine, 2003: 46 , fig. 38; Clathrina coriacea (Montague, 1814) : Wiedenmayer (1977): 190; Clathrina aff. coriacea: Rützler et al. (2004): 7 .

Material. USNM 1191353, Carrie Bow forereef, spur and groove zone, 8–10 m; lower surface of coral block. K. Ruetzler, col. 11 May 1975. USNM 1191356, Carrie Bow south reef crest, under coral rubble, 1 m. K. Ruetzler col. 6 Mar 2006. USNM 1191354, USNM 1191355, Carrie Bow forereef, 25 m. M. C. Diaz col. 8 Sep 2009. USNM 1229159, Carrie Bow Cay, south back reef, lower surface of platy coral rubble, 1 m; K. Ruetzler, col. 17 Aug 2012.

External morphology. Clusters of meshwork of tubes, forming cushions of 0.5–8 cm 2 extension. Oscula (1–3 mm) are in places where several tubules merge, forming an atrium, but distinctive water-collecting tubes are only seen in young specimens. The sponges are strongly contractile and shrink considerably when touched and removed from the substrate. Color is bright yellow to brownish yellow.

Skeleton structure. Spicules are triactines packed densely and tangentially in the wall of the asconoid tubes, thus allowing for strong contractions.

Spicules. The triactines have equal actines and are equiangular, except for a few that are misformed. The actins taper gradually to a sharp point; they measure 85–100 (92) Μm in length, 8–12 (10) Μm in width at the base.

Ecology. Common in forereef cavities and on the lower surfaces of coral rubble; also in peat caves in the mangrove, away from sediment bottoms (Rützler et al., 2004). Depth: 0.5 – 25 m.

Distribution. Probably Caribbean-wide but easily overlooked and generally misidentified as C. coriacea , a Mediterranean species.

Comments. The triactines of the studied material have shorter and thinner rays as described for the holotype from Turneffe Island atoll ( Belize) (mean, 133 x 16 Μm), but the closeness of the type location to our study area and the fact that triactines are the only spicules and their morphology is identical with the type illustration prompt us to accept the name C. hondurensis for our species.