Figs 55 a–e
Esperella ancorina Whitelegge, 1906: 466, pl. XLIII, fig. 6.3.
Mycale parasitica; Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: 289 (not: Carter 1885 = Mycale (Grapelia) australis).
Mycale (Grapelia) ancorina; Hajdu 1995: 79, figs 6.17, 25–33.
Not: Mycale ancorina; Capon & Macleod 1987: 225 (= Mycale (Arenochalina) mirabilis).
Material examined. ZMA Por. 10908, fragment of neotype AMS Z1440, Australia, New South Wales, E of Woollongong, Tethys Expedition stat. 48, depth 100 m, substrate sand and mud to rock, trawl, 18 March 1898.
Summary description (based on Whitelegge 1906 and Hajdu 1995). Stalked-arborescent (Fig. 55a), with thick branches tending to be arranged in one plane, branch length up 23 cm x 2.5 cm in diameter. Surface optically smooth, wrinkled in dried condition. Magnified there are small dermal conules up to 1 mm high. Oscula are scattered, up to 2 mm in diameter. Consistency firm, preserved color dark cream. Skeleton consisting of strong plumoreticulate spicule tracts, 200–400 µm in diameter ending at the surface in spicule brushes carrying a confused mass of tangential spicules. Spicules (Figs 55 b–e) include robust mycalostyles (Figs 55b,b 1) 300–330 x 10–15 µm and three categories of anisochelae, (I) 47–61 µm, (II) 15–18 µm (I and II are arranged in rosettes of respectively 125 and 40 µm diameter), and (III) 18–22 µm. Anisochelae I (Fig. 55c,c 1) strongly curved with four upper unguiferous alae and squarish lower alae, anisochelae II (Figs 55d,d 1) with curved shaft and upper alae fused with frayed rim, with lower alae also with frayed rims, anisochelae III (Figs 55e) spurred, palmate with upper lateral alae fused to the shaft and almost meeting the lower lateral alae. No sigmas. Only two specimens from South East Australia have been reliably identified, one of which was lost; other specimens reported under this name (Capon & Macleod 1987) were found to be misidentified (cf. Hajdu 1995).
Distribution. South East Australia.
Remarks. Hajdu (1995) distinguished this species from the sympatric Mycale (Grapelia) australis (Gray, 1867) (cf. below) on the branching vs massive-sprawling habitus and the size of anisochelae III being larger than that of anisochelae II. Both species differ from other Mycale (Grapelia) species in lacking sigmas.