Esperella ancorina Whitelegge, 1906: 466 Mycale parasitica Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: 289 Mycale (Grapelia) australis Mycale (Grapelia) ancorina Mycale species of the tropical Indo-West Pacific (Porifera, Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida) Van, Rob W. M. Aryasari, Ratih De, Nicole J. Zootaxa 2021 2021-01-19 4912 1 1 212 44RWK (Whitelegge, 1906) Whitelegge 1906 [151,729,1029,1056] Demospongiae Mycalidae Mycale Animalia Poecilosclerida 87 88 Porifera species ancorina Grapelia   Figs 55a–e      Esperella ancorina Whitelegge, 1906: 466, pl. XLIII, fig. 6.3.    Mycale parasitica;  Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: 289(not: Carter 1885=  Mycale (Grapelia) australis).   Mycale (Grapelia) ancorina; Hajdu 1995: 79, figs 6.17, 25–33.   Not:  Mycale ancorina; Capon & Macleod 1987: 225( = Mycale (Arenochalina) mirabilis).   Material examined.  ZMAPor. 10908, fragment of neotypeAMS Z1440, Australia, New South Wales, E of Woollongong, Tethys Expeditionstat. 48, depth  100 m, substrate sand and mud to rock, trawl,  18 March 1898.  Summary description(based on Whitelegge 1906and Hajdu 1995). Stalked-arborescent ( Fig. 55a), with thick branches tending to be arranged in one plane, branch length up 23 cmx 2.5 cmin diameter. Surface optically smooth, wrinkled in dried condition. Magnified there are small dermal conules up to 1 mmhigh. Oscula are scattered, up to 2 mmin diameter. Consistency firm, preserved color dark cream. Skeleton consisting of strong plumoreticulate spicule tracts, 200–400 µmin diameter ending at the surface in spicule brushes carrying a confused mass of tangential spicules. Spicules ( Figs 55b–e) include robust mycalostyles ( Figs 55b,b 1) 300–330 x 10–15 µmand three categories of anisochelae, (I) 47–61 µm, ( II) 15–18 µm(I and IIare arranged in rosettes of respectively 125 and 40 µmdiameter), and ( III) 18–22 µm. Anisochelae I ( Fig. 55c,c 1) strongly curved with four upper unguiferous alae and squarish lower alae, anisochelae II( Figs 55d,d 1) with curved shaft and upper alae fused with frayed rim, with lower alae also with frayed rims, anisochelae III( Figs 55e) spurred, palmate with upper lateral alae fused to the shaft and almost meeting the lower lateral alae. No sigmas. Only two specimens from South East Australiahave been reliably identified, one of which was lost; other specimens reported under this name ( Capon & Macleod 1987) were found to be misidentified (cf. Hajdu 1995).   Distribution. South East Australia.   Remarks. Hajdu (1995) distinguished this species from the sympatric  Mycale (Grapelia) australis( Gray, 1867)(cf. below) on the branching vs massive-sprawling habitus and the size of anisochelae III being larger than that of anisochelae II. Both species differ from other  Mycale (Grapelia)species in lacking sigmas. 3026466411 1898-03-18 ZMA Australia 100 Tethys Expedition Woollongong 87 88 1 New South Wales neotype