Stylocordyla stipitata var. globosa Ridley & Dendy 1886

Stylocordyla stipitata var. globosa Ridley & Dendy, 1886

(Fig. 9F–G)

Stylocordyla stipitata var. globosa Ridley & Dendy, 1886: 489; Ridley & Dendy 1887: 224, pl. XLIII fig. 10, text-fig. 9. Stylocordyla borealis var. globosa; Hentschel 1914: 54.

The variety was described by Ridley & Dendy from Challenger Exped. Stat. 145, at the Prince Edward Islands, Subantarctic Indian Ocean, 46.7167°S 38.075°E, depth 256 m (three syntypes BMNH 1887.11.19.2, and another 50 specimens from Kerguelen localities lacking precise coordinates). The specimens described and illustrated resemble the recently described Antarctic species Stylocordyla chupachups Uriz et al. (2011: 247), but these authors claim they could not verify if Ridley & Dendy’s variety was conspecific with S. chupachups, because Ridley & Dendy did not provide spicule size data. It would have been ideal if they would have borrowed slides or one of the syntype specimens in London to avoid a possible conspecificity. An extra reason for doing so is Hentschel’s (1914: 54) report of the var. globosa from Gauss Station in Eastern Antarctica (66.0358°S 89.6333°E) with shape, absence of a microxea palisade in the globular body, and spicule sizes similar to those of S. chupachups. I propose to elevate the present variety to species level as Stylocordyla globosa Ridley & Dendy, 1886, awaiting further comparison with type material of both S. globosa and S. chupachups.