Tethya maza Selenka, 1879

(Figure 24)

Synonymy and references. Tethya maza Selenka, 1879: Ribeiro & Muricy (2011): 1513, fig. 1.

Material. USNM 33170, Carrie Bow Cay, under coral rubble on reef flat near shore, 0.2 m; R. J. Larson col. 27 Apr 1972. USNM 1228979, Carrie Bow Cay, back reef near crest, inside and underside of Acropora palmata coral rubble, 0.3 m; K. Ruetzler col. 23 Apr 1974. USNM 1228980, 1228981, 1228982, 1228983, Carrie Bow Cay East, reef flat, underside of platy coral rubble, 0.5 m; K. Ruetzler col. 1 May 1974. USNM 1228984, Carrie Bow Cay West, under concrete dock; 0.5 m; K. Ruetzler col. 14 May 1988. USNM 1228985, Carrie Bow Cay back reef, inside dead conch shell, 0.5 m; K. Ruetzler & C. Piantoni, col. 23 Feb 2006.

Examined in the field (CBC 07-11, red) but not preserved: Carrie Bow Cay forereef, lower surface of Agaricia coral plate, 21 m; C. Piantoni col. 28 Jun 2007.

External morphology. Subspherical shape, with verrucose surface. Tough elastic consistency; yellow, orange yellow, red-orange, red, or green in live color, all with yellow interior.

Skeleton structure. Bundles of megascleres radiating from the center of the sponge toward the surface. Microscleres concentrated in the tough, contractile cortex.

Spicules. Megascleres, principal strongyloxeas: 1010– 1820 x 10–26 (1380 x 17) Μm; auxiliary strongyloxeas: 370–830 x 4–11 (617 x 8). Microscleres, spherasters: 25–63 (49) Μm; strongylasters with small centers and up to 9 microspined rays, some of them branched (“strongylasters type 1,” according to Ribeiro and Muricy, 2011): 25–48 (36) Μm; tylasters with up to 9 cylindrical rays terminated by a microspined tyle (“tylasters type 1”): 10–15 (13) Μm; oxyasters with small center and microspined, pointed rays (“oxyasters 1,” rare, n=5): 37–46 (43) Μm; oxyasters with large center and smooth but somewhat crooked rays (“oxyasters 2,” rare, n=5): 7–10 (9) Μm.

Ecology. Cryptic (under coral rubble, inside dead conch shells), 0.2– 20 m.

Distribution. Caribbean and Brazil.

Comments. We compared our SEM images with the detailed, SEM-illustrated analysis of Tethya maza by Ribeiro & Muricy (2011) and found our specimens in full agreement, except that some of our mean measurements differ slightly, some being larger, others smaller.