Cladorhiza abyssicola, SARS, 1872

Hestetun, Jon Thomassen, Tompkins-Macdonald, Gabrielle & Rapp, Hans Tore, 2017, A review of carnivorous sponges (Porifera: Cladorhizidae) from the Boreal North Atlantic and Arctic, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 181, pp. 1-69 : 22

CLADORHIZA ABYSSICOLA SARS, 1872

( FIGS 16, 17; TABLE 4)

Original description: Cladorhiza abyssicola Sars, 1872: 65 .

Synonyms and citations: Cladorhiza abyssicola ( Schmidt, 1875: 119; Lambe, 1896: 188; Lundbeck, 1905: 79; Topsent, 1909: 2; Babić, 1922: 263; Hentschel, 1929: 935; Burton, 1930: 492; Vacelet, 1969: 191; van Soest, 1993: 210; Boury-Esnault et al., 1994: 101; Brunel et al., 1998: 61; van Soest et al., 2007: 130; Hestetun et al., 2015: 1330). Uncertain: C. abyssicola ( von Marenzeller, 1878: 358, 371; Verrill, 1885: 531; Fristedt, 1887: 455). These early records are without Diagnosis: Erect Cladorhiza with arbuscular morphology consisting of branching central stem with numerous side branches in several planes directed outwards and slightly upwards. Stem and branches covered in a layer of softer tissue containing a large number of filaments projecting in all directions. Branch ends often slightly swollen. Lower stem connected to the substrate with rhizoids. Megascleres mycalostyles; microscleres one type of chela c. 15–29 µm, sigmas c. 55–127 µm and sigmancistras c. 35–52 µm.

Description: Arbuscular species consisting of a central stem, branching in larger specimens, with side branches in multiple planes directed outwards and often slightly upwards. Specimens up to 15 cm tall with the main stem and branches 1–3 mm wide. Branches normally terminate in small swellings. Usually with a somewhat finer morphology than other closely related Cladorhiza species. Filaments typically 1–2 mm long, and project in all directions from the stem and branches. Lower stem is bare and connects to the substrate with a number of threadlike rhizoid processes. The colour in ethanol is whitish grey to light beige ( Figs 16A–E, 17A, B).

Skeleton : Skeleton of the main stem and branches composed of spicule bundles forming a solid core surrounded by looser tissue at the surface. Skeleton of each filament originating in the centre of the main skeleton and made up of overlapping mycalostyles with a slight, softer surface layer ( Fig. 17C, D).