Lelapiella sphaerulifera Vacelet, 1977

Lelapiella sphaerulifera Vacelet, 1977 View in CoL

Figures 43a–g View FIGURE 43

Lelapiella incrustans subsp. sphaerulifera Vacelet, 1977: 362 View in CoL , fig. 7.

Material examined. ZMA Por. 09087, Indonesia, SE Sulawesi, NE Take Bone Rate, western edge of reef Taka Garlarang , 6.45°S 121.2083°E, depth 35 m GoogleMaps , SCUBA, coll. H.A. ten Hove, Indonesian-Dutch Snellius II Expedition stat. 114 / V/05 , 27 September 1984 .

Description. White encrusting sponge ( Fig. 43a View FIGURE 43 ) on dead coral, size 1.5 x 0.5 x 0.3 cm. Surface irregular, with thin grooves and small pits; harsh to the touch.

Skeleton. ( Fig. 43b View FIGURE 43 ) The cortex consists of a dense mass of spherules and tripods, carried over a large subcortical space by tracts of diactines. The basal skeleton is a mass of ‘hockey-stick’ diactine spicules and spherules.

Spicules. ( Figs 43c–g View FIGURE 43 ) Tripods, tetractines, diactines, ‘hockey-stick’ diactines, spherules.

Tripods ( Fig. 43c View FIGURE 43 ), usually inequiactinal, 171– 226.2 –285 x 36– 46.0 –57 µm.

Tetractines ( Fig. 43d View FIGURE 43 ), rare, actines of the basal radiate system 78–100 x 9, short apical actine, 10–20 µm.

Diactines ( Fig. 43g View FIGURE 43 ) slightly crooked in the middle, tapering to bluntly rounded endings, 126– 193.2 –297 x 13– 17.2 –27 µm

‘Hockey-stick’ diactines ( Fig. 43f View FIGURE 43 ), club-shaped, 84– 95.8 –106 x 18– 19.1 –21 µm (shaft), thickened part 30–33 µm in diameter.

Spherules ( Fig. 43e View FIGURE 43 ), bean-shaped, often asymmetrical, 26– 30. 2–36 x 17– 18.2 –20 µm.

Ecology. Deeper water under overhangs, in reefs.

Distribution. Indonesia, New Caledonia.

Remark. The present material matches the type in great detail.