Morphological description (show/hide)
Erect, with or without a small central basal stalk, producing numerous thin, stoloniferous, anastomosing cylindrical branches. | Pale orange exterior, bright vermillion inter | Surface varies from optically smooth to sparsely conulose and microscopically hispid. | Choanosomal skeletal architecture is regularly reticulate, with even, rectangular to ovoid cavernous meshes, between which are scattered numerous subectosomal auxiliary megascleres. Fibres are moderately heavy and cored by multispicular tracts of subectosomal spicules. Acanthostyles lightly echinate fibres and they are predominantly dispersed around fibre nodes. | Ectosome consists of a dense palisade of discrete spicule brushes which are both supported and pierced by large ascending subectosomal tracts, without a fibre spongin component, and the subectosomal tracts arise directly from ascending primary fibres. | Principal choanosomal megascleres are absent or completely undifferentiated from subectosomal megascleres. Subectosomal auxiliary subtylostyles have smooth or minutely spined bases. Length 165-()-325 ï¾µm, width 4.5-()-15 ï¾µm. Ectosomal auxiliary subtylostyles are smooth or microspined. Length 95-()-180 ï¾µm, width 1.5-()-4.5 ï¾µm. Acanthostyles are subtylote, with a smooth apex and neck. Length 50-()-82 ï¾µm, width 2.3-()-6.5 ï¾µm. | Palmate isochelae in two size classes, with some twisted forms. Length I 3-()-8 ï¾µm, length II 10-()-15 ï¾µm. Toxas are relatively small, thin, with large central curvature and slightly reflexed points. Length 34-()-90 ï¾µm, width 0.8-()-1.5 ï¾µm. |
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