Paratimea constellata, (TOPSENT, 1893)

PARATIMEA CONSTELLATA ( TOPSENT, 1893) View in CoL

( FIG. 2A–D)

Bubaris constellata Topsent, 1893 (p. 33–34) Halicnemia constellata ( Topsent, 1893) View in CoL

Material examined: Holotype MNHN-DT-2361 Roscoff (only a microscope slide of the type specimen remains).

Description: Megascleres: long, slender tylostyles 2500–3000 µm × 13–14 µm (these measurements are taken from the original description; in the slide from the holotype that we examined, only one tylostyle was intact, which measured 2 mm), subtrilobate head 17 µm ( Fig. 2A).

A c c e s s o r y o x e a s: c e n t r o t y l o t e o x e a s 3 7 9– 6 7 0– 900 µm × 8–10 µm ( Fig. 2B, C).

Microscleres: smooth-rayed euasters 14– 30– 46 µm ( Fig. 2D).

Remarks: This species is very similar to Paratimea loennbergi , with the exception that in Paratimea loennbergi there are two categories of tylostyles: long, slender tylostyles, with a globular to subtrilobate head (> 2 mm × 32 µm), similar to those of Paratimea constellata and, in addition, distinctive short tylostyles that are stout and club-like, with a pear-shaped, annulated head. These are found only in the base of the sponge, where it is in contact with the substratum. It is possible that these two taxa are conspecific, but that the microscope preparations made from Paratimea constellata did not include the basal layer with the distinctive short tylostyles. Unfortunately, the type material of Paratimea constellata is missing, and it is not possible to ascertain whether the basal layer, if present, contained the short, club-like tylostyles. Therefore, we retain Paratimea constellata and Paratimea loennbergi as two separate species until fresh material from the type locality can eventually be examined and sequenced.

We have examined specimens from the Ulster Museum collection identified as Paratimea constellata . The spiculation and skeletal architecture is identical to that of Paratimea loennbergi , and the material has been re-identified accordingly. Records of Paratimea constellata from the coasts of Britain and Ireland (Picton et al., 2007) should be attributed to Paratimea loennbergi . The GenBank sequences for Paratimea constellata listed by Morrow et al. (2012) ( HQ379218 View Materials , HQ379397 View Materials , HQ379284 View Materials , HQ379352 View Materials and HQ379419 View Materials ) have been changed to Paratimea loennbergi .