Ascandra, Haeckel, 1872

Ascandra View in CoL (?) sertularia ( Haeckel, 1872)

Ascandra sertularia Haeckel, 1872 View in CoL (II): 100, (III) pl. 15 figs 4a–f, pl. 17 fig. 5

Soleniscus sertularia Haeckel, 1872 (II): 100.

Leucosolenia sertularia ; Dendy & Row, 1913: 723.

Description (summarized from Haeckel, 1872 (II): 100–101): Hydroid-shaped, with a thin central tube from which branch off two-dimensionally numerous side tubes, which in turn have side branches themselves. The drawing of Haeckel is rather stylized, but apparently the sponge was bilaterally symmetrical. Length of cormus 28 mm, width 14 mm. The central tube is 2 mm in diameter, the side tubes 1 mm. The sponge has a small holdfast with which it is attached to a red alga. The central tube is open distally. The surface is hipid from protruding large diactines. Skeleton and spicules: the walls of the tubes are formed by aligned tri- and tetractines, similar in size and shape, together forming regular rectangular meshes. Sizes of the paired actines 120 x 10 µm, unpaired actines 60 x 5 µm. Diactines of 500–600 x 30–40 µm, with a lancet-shaped protruding end set off by a thickened ring, are arranged perpendicular to the wall of the tubes.

Type locality: Java (collected by Mulder) .