Anamixilla torresi Poléjaeff, 1883

Anamixilla torresi Poléjaeff, 1883 View in CoL

Figures 51a–c View FIGURE 51 , 52a–c View FIGURE 52

Anamixilla torresi Poléjaeff, 1883: 50 View in CoL , pl. IV figs 2a–c; Dendy, 1893a: 97; Burton, 1930: 5, fig. 4; Borojevic, 1967b: 9; Erhardt & Baensch, 1998: 73.

Material examined. ZMA Por. 00139, Indonesia, Irian Jaya, 1.71°S 130.79°E, depth 32 m, trawled, coll. Siboga Expedition stat. 164, 20 August 1899 GoogleMaps ; ZMA Por. 00140, Indonesia, Nusa Tenggara, Timor, Samau Island , Haingsisi , 10.1358°S 123.6297°E, depth 0–38 m, trawled, coll. Siboga Expedition stat. 303, 2 February 1900 GoogleMaps ; ZMA Por. 00141, Indonesia, Maluku, Banda anchorage, 4.5398°S 129.9084°E, depth 9–45 m, trawled, coll. Siboga Expedition stat. 240, 22 November 1899 GoogleMaps ; ZMA Por. 00142, Indonesia, Ambon anchorage, 3.7°S 128.15°E, depth 40 m, trawled, coll. Siboga Expedition stat. 231, 14 November 1899 GoogleMaps ; ZMA Por. 08006, Indonesia, Nusa Tenggara, E of Komodo, Teluk Slawi , 8.8°S 119.52°E, underneath coral head, depth 1–4 m, snorkeling, coll GoogleMaps . R. W.M. van Soest, Indonesian-Dutch Snellius II Expedition stat. 069/II/13, 17 September 1984 ; ZMA Por. 16351, Indonesia, North Sulawesi, Bunaken Island , in cave, 1.6132°N 124.7797°E, depth 32 m GoogleMaps , SCUBA, coll. H. Erhardt, 17 September 1996 ; RMNH Por. 6572, Indonesia, North Sulawesi, Lembeh Strait, Teluk Makawide , 1.48°N 125.24°E, depth 12 m GoogleMaps , SCUBA, coll. N.J. de Voogd, #LEM19/090212/062, 9 February 2012 ; RMNH Por. 6612, Indonesia, North Sulawesi, Lembeh Strait, Tanjung Pandea , 1.4°N 125.17°E, depth 14 m GoogleMaps , SCUBA, coll. N.J. de Voogd, #LEM24/110212/126, 11 February 2012 .

Description. Wide irregular-shaped tubes ( Fig. 51a View FIGURE 51 ) of up to 2.5 cm diameter and with short fringe at the rim of flaring, trumpet-like tube-endings. Overall size of cormus up to 10 cm or more in length. Color white, with blueish fringe in larger tubes. Consistency brittle, but limp when taken out of the water.

Histology. Syconoid aquiferous system.

Skeleton. Inarticulate, with a cortex formed by tangential giant and medium sized triactines ( Fig. 51b View FIGURE 51 ), a choanosomal skeleton ( Fig. 51c View FIGURE 51 ) formed by similar giant triactines and the unpaired actines of subatrial triactines. Atrial skeleton ( Fig. 51c View FIGURE 51 ) consists of tetractines.

Spicules. ( Figs 52a–c View FIGURE 52 ) Giant triactines, medium sized triactines, small triactines, medium sized and small tetractines; these spicules are all parasagittal. There are also - mostly broken - trichoxeas, uncommon, which likely represent spicules from the tubar fringe.

Giant triactines ( Fig. 52a View FIGURE 52 ), equiangular with unequal length actines (parasagittal), 990– 164 0–2010 x 66– 84.2 – 120 µm.

Medium-sized triactines ( Fig. 52b View FIGURE 52 ) with unequal length actines (parasagittal), usually with an unpaired actine longer than both unequal length paired actines, 330– 471.3 –602 x 13– 24.7 –35 µm.

Tetractines ( Fig. 52c View FIGURE 52 ), with unpaired actines usually shorter than the paired actines, in a large size range from giant-sized to small, 30– 394.1 –690 x 2– 16.6 –24 µm, paired actines 50– 590.6 –900 x 2– 16.1 –20 µm, apical actines approximately 31–53.8–90 x 7– 11.3 –19 µm.

Trichoxeas, in bundles or loose, mostly broken, up to at least 300 x 2.5 µm (only observed in RMNH Por. 6572).

Ecology. Mostly in the deeper reef environment, 20–40 m.

Distribution. Indonesia, elsewhere North Australia and New Caledonia.

Remarks. This material generally conforms closely to Poléjaeff's description, and to brief characterizations of Burton and Borojevic. The species is apparently not uncommon.