Niphatidae, van Soest, 1990

Pereira, Raquel, Larsson, Mats, Cárdenas, Paco & Thollesson, Mikael, 2025, Swedish marine demosponge fauna (Porifera: Demospongiae) sampled 80 years after Jägerskiöld’s inventory, European Journal of Taxonomy 983, pp. 1-64 : 21

Niphatidae sp. 1

Fig. 9

Material examined

SWEDEN • 1 spec.; Svartejan ; 59.1102° N, 11.3219° E; 24 Sep. 2019; Mats Larsson leg. [MM-190924- 1]; SCUBA; LAR-190924-P9240059, 63; GenBank no.: OM436284 (coxI), OM415650 (28S D3-D5); voucher: GNM Porifera 1090 .

Description

A massive encrusting specimen, from which we collected a fragment ca 4 mm long. The specimen was growing on a vertical rock. Its pores are visible as well as a single simple osculum, which was on the top of a cone; in situ, some of the aquiferous canals were visible in the thinnest areas of the sponge. The surface is hispid. The natural colour is whitish-grey ( Fig. 9A ), transitioning to snow white in ethanol.

Skeleton

The small dimensions of the collected fragment did not allow us to produce a thick section. The spicules are thick, slightly curved oxeas with sharp points ( Fig. 9B ), measuring: 100.0– 183.4 –210.0± 20.18 × 5– 7.4 –10± 1.25 µm (N= 29) ( Fig. 8B ). We did no find microscleres.

Figures

Fig. 9. Niphatidae sp. 1. specimen, GNM Porifera 1090 (LAR-190924-P2940059, 63).A. Live specimen. B. Oxea.

Fig. 8. Haliclona sp. 1. specimen GNM Porifera 1021, (LAR-191102-PB020337–38).A. Live specimen. B. Oxeas.