Uriz, M.J.; Maldonado, M. (1996). The genus Igernella (Demospongiae: Dendroceratida) with description of a new speciesfrom the central Atlantic. In: Willenz, Ph. (Ed.), Recent Advances in Sponge Biodiversity Inventory and Documentation. Bulletin de l'Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique (Biologie). 66 (Supplement): 153-163.

8434

Uriz, M.J.; Maldonado, M.

1996

66 (Supplement): 153-163

Publication

Uriz&Maldonao,1996.pdf 

The genus Igernella TOPSENT, 1905 includes those dendroceratid sponges characterised by an irregularly reticulate skeleton arising from a spongin plate and the presence of diactinal, triactinal, or tetractinal spiculoids. To date, two species of this genus had been described : I. mirabilis LEVI from the Indo-Pacific and I. notabilis(DUCHASSAING & MICHELOTTI) from the central Atlantic. A re-examination of material previously assigned to the genera Igernella and Darwinella allowed us to detect the existence of a second species of Igernella in the central Atlantic. Igernella vansoesti sp. nov. is erected to include the specimens from the Cape Verde Islands assigned to I. notabilis by VAN SOEST(1993), and one specimen from the Gulf of Mexico formerly recorded under the name D. muelleri SCHULZE by DE LAUBENFELS. The specimen described as D. joyeuxi TOSENT by LITTLE (1963) probably belongs to this species as well. The new species is distinguishable from I. notabilis by its massive growth habit -without conspicuous tubes-, a minutely conulose surface, small oscules, and a skeletal network, made of narrow primary and secondary fibres, denser than that of I. notabilis. There is an important amount of foreign material embedded in the mesohyl whereas it is scarce within the fibres or even absent. The absence of debris in the fibres of some species of Igernella suggests a close relationship between this genus and other genera of the family Darwinellidae. This is in agreement with a recent proposal of moving the genus Igernella from the family Dictyodendrillidae to the family Darwinellidae on the basis of their chemical affinities

Atlantic Ocean (without specification)

Systematics, Taxonomy

Porifera

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