Paratimea oxeata Pulitzer-Finali, 1978

(Figure 18)

Paratimea oxeata Pulitzer-Finali, 1978: 39 .

Material examined: ESFM-POR / 2017-569, S31, 20 m, on coralligenous habitat, 1 specimen .

Description: The specimen is small (diameter: 0.5 cm) and encrusting. The color is creamy light yellow in alcohol (Figure 18a). The patency of the osculum is unclear. The skeletal system was not observed. Spicules consist of large oxeas that are curved, bent or flexuous, with the triangular end (350–900 µm × 2.5–12 µm) and 9–12 rayed oxyasters (sizes 25–60 µm) in a wide size range (Figure 18b, c).

Habitat and distribution: This species was previously found in rocky (Pulitzer-Finali 1978) and coralligenous biotopes (Bertolino et al. 2013, Longo et al. 2018) at depths between 30 and 110 m. It is an endemic species to the Mediterranean (Pansini & Longo 2008). It was reported from the Ionian Sea (Longo et al. 2018), the Ligurian Sea (Bertolino et al. 2013), and the Tyrrhenian Sea (Pulitzer-Final 1978). It is a new record for the fauna of the eastern Mediterranean fauna.