Axinella meandroides Alvarez, van Soest & Rützler 1998

Axinella meandroides

MATERIAL EXAMINED.—Holotype: Gulf of Mexico: USNM 41612 (20). Paratypes: Gulf of Mexico: USNM 42796 (42), USNM 42797 (38), USNM 42798 (39), USNM 42799 (44), ZMA Por 10363 (18). Nontypes: Off South Carolina: USNM 33339 (32°29′12″N, 79°42′54″W, 18 m, coll. SCMR for MMS, 16 Jan 1980). Off Georgia: USNM 42800 (31°23′24″N, 80°53′24″W, 17 m, coll. GMR for MMS, 4 Mar 1981).

SHAPE (Figure 6a).—Small coalesced cups with corrugated walls, 9–20 mm in diameter; cups with common vertices or on central, short peduncle.

SURFACE.—Meandrine, corrugated, encrusted with zoanthids.

COLOR.—Unknown when alive. Purple or brown in alcohol.

SKELETON (Figure 6b,c).—Axial skeleton with vague reticulation of longitudinal spongin-enveloped spicule tracts, 50–100 μm thick. Extra-axial anisotropic reticulation of plumose spicule tracts, radial and oblique to surface, connected by 1–5 spicules.

SPICULES (Figure 6d, Table 6).—Styles to subtylostyles in two size categories, often with tylote modifications; thin oxeas and incipient styles; oxeas very rare or absent in most specimens.

DISTRIBUTION AND HABITAT.—Known only from the Gulf of Mexico, Georgia, and South Carolina. Occurs in rock patches or coral reefs at depths of 14–31.5 m.

ETYMOLOGY.—From Meander (Latin maeander), a river in Asia Minor noted for its winding course, referring to the winding appearance of the surface.