Siphonodictyon ruetzleri Calcinai, Cerrano & Bavestrello 2007

Siphonodictyon ruetzleri (Calcinai, Cerrano & Bavestrello, 2007)

Synonymy and references. Aka ruetzleri Calcinai, Cerrano & Bavestrello, 2007: 1362, fig. 5.

Material. USNM 1229128, Carrie Bow forereef, outer ridge, in lower surface of Agaricia coral plate, 12 m; K. Ruetzler, col. 12 May 1975.

External morphology. A ragged cavity (1 x 2 x 4 cm) inside coral rock filled with tissue, with a tissue-lined tunnel (2–4 mm diameter) leading to papillate structures at the substratum surface. Consistency soft, color yellowish ochre.

Skeleton structure. Oxeas in criss-cross arrangement, with a few tracts and multispicular meshes.

Spicules. Oxeas, slightly bent, with sharp or, less commonly, rounded points; in two size categories, mainly determined by thickness; oxeas I: 160–220 x 7–9 (189 x 8) Μm; oxeas II: 160–200 x 3–5 (180 x 4) Μm.

Ecology. Excavating coral on the forereef, 11– 15 m.

Distribution. Belize.

Comments. Only the endolithic stage of this species was found and identification is based mainly on the spicule dimensions, which are different from other Siphonodictyon species in this habitat and agree closely with those of the type material, which was discovered at the same location.