Raspailia (Hymeraphiopsis) irregularis Hentschel 1914

Raspailia (Hymeraphiopsis) irregularis Hentschel, 1914

(Fig. 3 G)

Raspailia irregularis Hentschel, 1914: 121, pl. 8, fig. 6. Hooper 2002b: 479–480, fig. 5.

Synonymy:

Eurypon miniaceum sensu Burton, 1932: 325. Koltun 1964: 85–86, pl. 13, figs. 1–3, 1976: 192. (Not Eurypon miniaceum Thiele, 1905: 446).

Material. 10 specimens from station 048-1 (SMF 11806, 11813, 11820, 11828, 11829, 11830, 11846), 602.1 m, 70° 23.94' S, 8° 19.14' W, 12.01.2008.

Description. Sponges of upright, arborescent growth, attached to hard substrates such as stones or bivalve shells. Surfaces bristled by protruding styles. Skeleton irregular with spicules usually oriented towards the outside, small acanthotylostyles often assembled surrounding the bases of long echinating styles. Spicules numerous acanthotylostyles with distinct tyles at the rounded ends, 160–280 x 20–25 µm, large styles, 2400–3850 x 25–50 µm, and smaller, very thin styles 510–650 x 5 µm.

Remarks. Our specimens are in good accordance with the type as described by Hentschel (1914). The species is well characterized by its unique outer appearance and unique acanthotylostyles, hence it is almost unmistakably easily recognized. The species is well known from the Antarctic and has been reported several times. The most detailed description and revision, including the erection of the subgenus Hymeraphiopsis, is given by Hooper (1991). Another detailed description of the species is given in Hooper (2002b). Further records are given by Burton (1932), Koltun (1964) and Koltun (1976), which refer to the species as Eurypon miniaceum Thiele, 1905, based on an invalid synonymization undertaken by Burton (1932) (compare to Hooper 1991; Hooper 2002b).