taxonID	type	description	language	source
246CF300FFF61734FEC822D7FDB2FE97.taxon	materials_examined	TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype (MSNG 49675).	en	Sarà, Michele, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Calcinai, Barbara (2000): New Tethya species (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the Pacific area. Zoosystema 22 (2): 345-354, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5402001
246CF300FFF61734FEC822D7FDB2FE97.taxon	etymology	ETYMOLOGY. — After the frequent occurrence of spines and other anomalies of the spherasters.	en	Sarà, Michele, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Calcinai, Barbara (2000): New Tethya species (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the Pacific area. Zoosystema 22 (2): 345-354, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5402001
246CF300FFF61734FEC822D7FDB2FE97.taxon	materials_examined	TYPE LOCALITY. — Coconut Island. Hawaii, under floating dock, 0.5 m, 7. XII. 1985, coll. P. Karuso.	en	Sarà, Michele, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Calcinai, Barbara (2000): New Tethya species (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the Pacific area. Zoosystema 22 (2): 345-354, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5402001
246CF300FFF61734FEC822D7FDB2FE97.taxon	description	DESCRIPTION Morphology Body globose (Fig. 1 A), a little ellipsoidal with axes of 2.5 and 3 cm. Tubercles small, less than 1 mm high, and irregularly conical. Several tubercles support small stalked buds. Yellow ochre in alcohol, consistency firm. Choanosomal cavities host commensal polychaetes. Skeleton (Fig. 2) Megasclere bundles stout and not apically branched. Spherasters fill the middle and inner cortical layers, with larger spicules in the middle one. Few spherasters in the outer layer and absent in the choanosome. Micrasters cover the sponge surface (Fig. 1 C) and the cavities and channels of the cortex and choanosome. Spicules Megascleres. (Fig. 1 B) Main strongyloxeas 600 - 1600 × 10 - 25 µm and auxiliary strongyloxeas, often transformed in anisostrongyles and styles, 300 - 800 × 4 - 18 µm. The two categories, howev- er, intergrade. Megasters. Spherasters 25 - 100 µm in diameter, R / C (ratio between ray length and centre diameter) = 0.2 - 1.5. Their shape, as their size, is extremely variable (Fig. 1 D-F). Their rays, 15 - 20, are very frequently spined, forked or truncated at the tip, sometimes bent or shortened and rounded. Each spheraster may express a different set of these abnormal traits. Normal spherasters are more frequent among the small spicules. Abnormal spherasters are the large majority of the full grown spicules. The rare large normal spherasters show 90 - 100 µm in diameter and R / C = 1. Micrasters. Generally tylasters (Fig. 1 G-H), sometimes strongylasters similar in the cortex and choanosome. Generally 6 - 8 µm in diameter, but their size is heterogeneous with a range of 2 - 15 µm including some very small or large asters. Also their shape is variable and dependent on the presence or absence of an enlarged centrum, and by the development of the knob at the tips of the rays. There are eight to twelve rays and these generally have a well-developed spiny knob at the tip. Some very small micrasters are irregularly shaped.	en	Sarà, Michele, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Calcinai, Barbara (2000): New Tethya species (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the Pacific area. Zoosystema 22 (2): 345-354, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5402001
246CF300FFF61734FEC822D7FDB2FE97.taxon	discussion	REMARKS T. ornata is well characterized by the spinosity and other anomalies of the majority of its megasters, an exception in the genus Tethya. Only another species of Tethya, T. tethya, an encrusting species from the Hawaii Aquarium of Honolulu, has been described for the Hawaii Islands (Laubenfels 1954). It differs from T. ornata for its smaller spherasters without spines and the presence of oxyasters among the micrasters. One of us (Sarà) has studied one specimen collected at Oahu, Black Point, labelled “ Tethya japonica ”, in the California Academy of Sciences, Natural History Museum. Spicular slides show that it is not T. japonica but more likely T. deformis (Thiele 1898). Unfortunately, without a comparison with the type of T. deformis recorded for the Museum für Naturkunde of Berlin but until now not found, we cannot be sure on this determination.	en	Sarà, Michele, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Calcinai, Barbara (2000): New Tethya species (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the Pacific area. Zoosystema 22 (2): 345-354, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5402001
246CF300FFF01734FEC52063FC11FB4C.taxon	materials_examined	TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype (MSNG 49676).	en	Sarà, Michele, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Calcinai, Barbara (2000): New Tethya species (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the Pacific area. Zoosystema 22 (2): 345-354, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5402001
246CF300FFF01734FEC52063FC11FB4C.taxon	etymology	ETYMOLOGY. — After C. J. Sim, the Korean spongologist who collected the specimens. OTHER MATERIAL. — Paratype (MSNG 49677).	en	Sarà, Michele, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Calcinai, Barbara (2000): New Tethya species (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the Pacific area. Zoosystema 22 (2): 345-354, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5402001
246CF300FFF01734FEC52063FC11FB4C.taxon	materials_examined	TYPE LOCALITY. — Songsampo (Korea). 30. VI. 1984, coll. C. J Sim.	en	Sarà, Michele, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Calcinai, Barbara (2000): New Tethya species (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the Pacific area. Zoosystema 22 (2): 345-354, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5402001
246CF300FFF01734FEC52063FC11FB4C.taxon	description	DESCRIPTION Morphology Body globose, 2.5 cm in diameter, consistency firm, yellow ochre in alcohol (Fig. 3 A). Tubercles flattened and little evident, 1.5 mm wide. Skeleton (Fig. 4) Megasclere bundles with large terminal fans. Megasters through entire cortex (Fig. 3 C) but not in the choanosome. Micrasters represented by two different categories in the cortex and choanosome. Sponge surface covered by cortical micrasters (Fig. 3 D). Spicules Strongyloxeas. (Fig. 3 B) Main strongyloxeas, with a thin proximal rounded end, 1200 - 1800 × 10 - 20 µm. Auxiliary megascleres 300 - 700 × 3 - 11 µm. The two categories have however many intermediates. Megasters. (Fig. 3 E, F) Spherasters 40 - 80 µm in diameter, R / C = 0.2 - 0.5. Rays often apically bent or forked (Fig. 3 F), about 20. Micrasters. Cortical micrasters are generally tylasters (Fig. 3 G) with indistinct knobs on their ray tips, being spines diffused along the ray. Several tylasters have a more or less developed centrum and shortened rays, 8 - 12 µm in diameter, ray number 8 - 14, generally 14. Choanosomal micrasters are oxyasters with conical rays, sometimes without spines (Fig. 3 J) but generally more or less spined (Fig. 3 H, I). Some oxyasters are spiny at the ray tips, 15 - 20 µm in diameter, generally 20 µm. Ray number eight to fourteen, commonly twelve to fourteen.	en	Sarà, Michele, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Calcinai, Barbara (2000): New Tethya species (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the Pacific area. Zoosystema 22 (2): 345-354, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5402001
246CF300FFF01734FEC52063FC11FB4C.taxon	discussion	REMARKS T. simi specimens were originally labelled T. aurantium. There are in fact some traits in common between the two species, both living in the northern temperate seas, as the existence of two micraster categories in the cortex and choanosome and the features of the oxyaster choanosomal category. But T. simi is distinguished clearly by the tylaster features of its cortical micrasters and by the megaster distribution in the cortex. In addition, in T. simi, the fibrous cortical inner layer, which is well developed in T. aurantium, is absent.	en	Sarà, Michele, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Calcinai, Barbara (2000): New Tethya species (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the Pacific area. Zoosystema 22 (2): 345-354, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5402001
246CF300FFF01736FCF325F3FB33FBF7.taxon	materials_examined	TYPE MATERIAL. — Syntypes (BMNH 1938: 4: 8: 1, slide 1938: 4: 8).	en	Sarà, Michele, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Calcinai, Barbara (2000): New Tethya species (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the Pacific area. Zoosystema 22 (2): 345-354, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5402001
246CF300FFF01736FCF325F3FB33FBF7.taxon	etymology	ETYMOLOGY. — For the occurrence of many strongyles in the spicule complement some of which are very short and plump.	en	Sarà, Michele, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Calcinai, Barbara (2000): New Tethya species (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the Pacific area. Zoosystema 22 (2): 345-354, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5402001
246CF300FFF01736FCF325F3FB33FBF7.taxon	materials_examined	TYPE LOCALITY. — Galapagos Islands. West side of James Island.	en	Sarà, Michele, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Calcinai, Barbara (2000): New Tethya species (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the Pacific area. Zoosystema 22 (2): 345-354, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5402001
246CF300FFF01736FCF325F3FB33FBF7.taxon	description	DESCRIPTION Morphology The two specimens are globose and respectively of 2 and 3 cm in diameter. The larger specimen has a large bud of 8 mm in diameter attached to the mother sponge by a short peduncle 2 mm long. Tubercles flattened and cortex with lacunae. Skeleton (Fig. 5) Radial megasclere bundles not branched. Spherasters throughout the whole cortex, more densely in the inner layer (Fig. 6 A). Some small spherasters in the choanosome. Sponge surface covered by cortical micrasters. Spicules Megascleres. Strongyloxeas (Fig. 6 B) or anisostrongyles (Fig. 6 C) frequently shortened, 500 - 2000 × 18 - 33 µm. Some spicules are short and plump strongyles, anisostrongyles and styles (Fig. 6 D, E, G) 140 - 300 × 40 - 60 µm. Megasters. (Fig. 6 F) Spherasters with short rays, in the cortex 40 - 85 µm and in the choanosome 35 - 48 µm in diameter, R / C = 0.1 - 0.7, frequently 0.5. Rays may be distorted, forked, spined or reduced to hemispherical outgrowths (Fig. 6 H), often with different ray aspects in the same spicule. Ray number 24 - 30. Micrasters. (Fig. 6 I, J) Tylasters 10 - 14 µm in diameter, generally 11 - 12 µm. As the rays are entirely spined the apical knob, a little more densely spined, is not distinct. Some tylasters have a small centrum. Ray number generally 12 - 14.	en	Sarà, Michele, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Calcinai, Barbara (2000): New Tethya species (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the Pacific area. Zoosystema 22 (2): 345-354, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5402001
246CF300FFF01736FCF325F3FB33FBF7.taxon	discussion	REMARKS T. strongylata is characterized by the shortened megascleres which are often anisostrongyles with some short and plump strongyles and styles. The megasters are also peculiar as they are frequently reduced and irregular. The rays are unusually short and numerous. In contrast, micrasters show a great uniformity in size and shape. They differ from the T. japonica Sollas, 1888 tylasters for their greater size, number and robustness of rays, and from those of T. deformis Thiele, 1898 for the less frequent and smaller development of the centrum. T. strongylata is the second species of Tethya described for the Galapagos Islands. The other species is T. sarai Desqueroux-Faundez & Van Soest, 1997 which is distinguished from strongylata not only by the lack of the peculiar traits of this species but also in possessing a category of choanosomal strongylasters / tylasters which are well distinguished from the cortical tylasters.	en	Sarà, Michele, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Calcinai, Barbara (2000): New Tethya species (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the Pacific area. Zoosystema 22 (2): 345-354, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5402001
246CF300FFF21739FCE52562FD40FE90.taxon	materials_examined	TYPE MATERIAL. — Holotype (LBIM / N 814) labelled “ T. japonica ” from MNHN.	en	Sarà, Michele, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Calcinai, Barbara (2000): New Tethya species (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the Pacific area. Zoosystema 22 (2): 345-354, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5402001
246CF300FFF21739FCE52562FD40FE90.taxon	etymology	ETYMOLOGY. — After Émile Topsent, the great French spongologist who has contributed greatly to our knowledge of Tethya.	en	Sarà, Michele, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Calcinai, Barbara (2000): New Tethya species (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the Pacific area. Zoosystema 22 (2): 345-354, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5402001
246CF300FFF21739FCE52562FD40FE90.taxon	materials_examined	TYPE LOCALITY. — Îlot Testard Sud. Baie de Saint- Vincent, New Caledonia, 17. XI. 1961, coll. B. Salvat.	en	Sarà, Michele, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Calcinai, Barbara (2000): New Tethya species (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the Pacific area. Zoosystema 22 (2): 345-354, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5402001
246CF300FFF21739FCE52562FD40FE90.taxon	description	DESCRIPTION Morphology Body irregularly globose, about 1.5 cm in diameter with irregular surface and indented tubercles. Smooth, yellow ochre in alcohol. Large cortical lacunae. Skeleton (Fig. 7) Strongyloxea bundles distorted in their cortical tract running obliquely to the sponge surface. They branch and terminate in fans. Megasters diffused throughout the entire cortex and more rare and scattered in the choanosome. One category of micrasters in the cortex and in the choanosome, where they coat the sponge surface. Spicules Main strongyloxeas 800 - 1500 × 10 - 26 µm. Often these strongyloxeas have their distal end more or less rounded and are then transformed to anisostrongyles (Fig. 8 A). Auxiliary strongyloxeas 450 - 600 × 3 - 12 µm. The two categories intergrade. Megasters. (Fig. 8 B-D) Spherasters 15 - 70 µm (generally 30 - 60) in diameter. R / C = 0.4 - 0.8. Size variable with many young spicules. In the choanosome 15 - 44 µm in diameter with R / C = 0.2 - 0.5. Ray number 16 - 22. The short rays are conical but sometimes flask-shaped.. Micrasters. (Fig. 8 E, F) Tylasters generally 10 - 12 µ m both in the cortex and in the choanosome. The more frequent shape has rays rather thick with a swollen tylote tip formed by a tuft of spines which are lacking on the stem. Variants have more slender, and sometimes tapering rays with less distinct terminal knobs. Ray number is generally eight to ten, with a range from six to ten. In two spicular slides we found chiasters with short rays and a big centrum, 15 µ m in diameter. As they are absent in the other spicular slides and in the sponge sections, they are likely foreign to this species.	en	Sarà, Michele, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Calcinai, Barbara (2000): New Tethya species (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the Pacific area. Zoosystema 22 (2): 345-354, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5402001
246CF300FFF21739FCE52562FD40FE90.taxon	discussion	REMARKS T. topsenti is only roughly similar to T. japonica Sollas, 1888 but can be separated by the clear distinction in the size and shape of its micrasters. The tylasters of topsenti have a greater size, stouter and shorter rays, and more distinct terminal knobs. Other distinctive traits in T. topsenti are the megaster distribution and the megaster shape; the megasters are present throughout the whole cortex and even the choanosome and have shorter rays. T. topsenti is comparable to T. deformis Thiele, 1898 for the irregular body shape and distorted megasclere bundles, but these growth characters occasionally occur in a range of different species. In spicular traits, as the tylasters thick rays and absence of a centrum, T. topsenti is different from T. deformis.	en	Sarà, Michele, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Calcinai, Barbara (2000): New Tethya species (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the Pacific area. Zoosystema 22 (2): 345-354, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5402001
246CF300FFF21739FCE52562FD40FE90.taxon	description	Other Tethya species described from New Caledonia are T. levii Sarà, 1992 and T. novaecaledoniae Sarà, 1992, both from deep waters, and T. sollasi Bergquist & Kelly-Borges, 1991 found under plate-coral rubble of intertidal flats. From this last species T. topsenti differs in several traits but especially for the micrasters features, and for the lack of a category of small microxyasters.	en	Sarà, Michele, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Calcinai, Barbara (2000): New Tethya species (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the Pacific area. Zoosystema 22 (2): 345-354, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.5402001
