FIGURE 3. A in Description and molecular phylogeny of Tethya hibernica sp. nov. (Porifera, Demospongiae) from Northern Ireland with remarks on the European species of the genus Te t h y a *

FIGURE 3. A. Schematic overview on the skeletal arrangement in the cortex (light grey) and the choanoderm (dark grey) in a contracted specimen of T. hibernica. B. Micrograph of tissue slice preparations. Main megascleres form bundles, which fan near the surface. Auxiliary megascleres are present in-between bundles in the choanoderm. Megasters are mainly present throughout the whole cortex. Micrasters are present throughout the sponge, with a prominent layer supporting the outer and inner pinacoderm layers. The lacuna system of the ectoderm is not dominant due to the contracted state of the specimens investigated. For details on the spicules refer to Figures 4 and 5.