Comprehensive Description
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Reviewed material is encrusting and/or branching. External morphology follows the description of the genus. Color of live specimens can be purple brown, chocolate brown, milk coffee brown, orange brown, orange, cream, or white (Fig. 1, 2). Color of choanosome is pale beige. After preservation in ethanol specimens retain some color of the live coloration. Spicules. Holotype slide with spicules R1228-86g-Bk.1390 (BMNH) and slide with thick section R1275-PE01-Bk1390 (BMNH) (Fig. 4): megascleres large straight tylostyles with blunt ends 500-7 10-820 × 10-13-15 × 10-15-18 μm, small straight tylostyles with sharp ends 140-317-450 × 5-8-25 × 8-9-13 μm; microscleres selenasters 80-90-98 μm, streptasters with varying number of (spined) rays (5-10) with bifurcating endings or tufts 23-34-43 × 8-15 μm, acantho microrhabds 8-12-18 × 1-2.5 μm, spherasters absent. The range within the examined material (Table 1 & Fig. 5): megascleres large tylostyles 540-990 × 8-18 × 10-18 μ m, small tylostyles 175-550 × 3-10 × 3-13 μ m; microscleres selenasters 50-85 × 35-70 μ m, streptasters 15-48 × 5-18 μ m, acanthose microrhabds 5-18 × 1-2.5 μ m, spherasters absent. Skeleton. As description of genus with addition that microrhabds form a layer over and amidst the selenaster cortex and are also prevalent in choanosomal tissue. Spirasters scattered in choanosome.Trusted