A guide to the deep-water sponges of - NMFS Scientific Publications ...

29. Geodia lendenfeldi nomen novum
Description. Small, cylindrical sponge has an ectosomal
hard cortex of sterrasters and a softer choanosome.
Lendenfeld (1910) described the species as encrusting,
cushion-shaped, or irregularly finger-shaped. The specimen
collected in the Aleutian Islands was a single cylinder
approximately 5 cm in height and 1 cm in width.
Color in life is white to creamy white.
Skeletal structure. There are sterrasters (170–200 ×
130-140 µm), choanosomal styles and oxeas (1200–1760
× 30–40 µm), diaenes of the same size as oxeas, and
tylasters (10 µm). Triaenes are absent.
Zoogeographic distribution. Rare. In Alaska – Aleutian
Islands and Southeast Alaska. Elsewhere – previously
known from the west coast of North America from
Southeast Alaska to southern California.
Habitat. In Alaska – found in cobble, pebble, and sand
habitat at a depth of 190 m. Epizoic on the demosponge
Erylus aleuticus. Elsewhere – no information available.
Remarks. Triaenes are absent in G. robusta, which
prompted Lendenfeld (1910) to erect the genus Geod-
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inella that is now regarded as synonymous with Geodia.
This specimen is the same as Geodia robusta (Lendenfeld,
1910). G. robusta (Lendenfeld, 1910) is a junior homonym
of G. robusta (Lendenfeld, 1907) however, and
according to the World Porifera Database (Van Soest et
al., 2008) it has no valid name. Thus, we suggest renaming
G. robusta (Lendenfeld, 1910) as Geodia lendenfeldi.
Photo. 1) Fragments of specimen collected at a depth
of 190 m in the central Aleutian Islands. Grid marks are
1 cm 2 .