Dictyonella marsilii ( Topsent, 1893 )

Dictyonella marsilii ( Topsent, 1893) View in CoL

( Figure 11 View FIGURE 11 )

Stylotella marsilii Topsent, 1893 : XLI.

Dictyonella marsilii, Pulitzer-Finali, 1983: 545 View in CoL .

Material Examined: ESFM-POR/2017-687 , S10, 10 –20 m, on coralligenous habitat, 3 specimens , ESFM-POR/2017-542 , S12, 5 –10 m, on coralligenous habitat, 2 specimens , ESFM-POR/2017-551 , S16(b), 28 m, on stone, 1 specimen , ESFM-POR/2017-564 , S31, 10 –20 m, on coralligenous habitat, 1 specimen .

Description: Specimens are oval and massive, with a soft consistency ( Figure 11a View FIGURE 11 ). Although it shows a weak hispidation on its outer surface, the hispidation is more pronounced in the area of the sponge in contact with the base. The few oscula are located at the top of the sponge body. Color is light brown in alcohol. Ectosome and choanosome differentiation could not be detected. Its skeleton consists of bundles of megasclerites that merge and separate in the same plane as each other. Spongin is present only at the junction of the spicules. Megasclerites consist of only slightly curved elongated styles ( Figure 11b, c View FIGURE 11 , 1600–1900 μm × 10–15 μm). The ends of the styles are pointed.

Habitat and distribution: This species was previously found in detrital and coralligenous habitats at depths up to 70 m in the previous studies ( Vacelet 1961, Rubio 1981, Longo et al. 2018). In the study area, it occurred in stony and coralligenous habitats at depths of 10– 20 m. It has an Atlantic-Mediterranean distribution ( de Voogd et al. 2024), reported from the Aegean ( Voultsiadou 2005), Ionian ( Longo et al. 2018) and Levantine ( Burton 1936) Seas. This is a new record for the coast of Türkiye.