BertolinoMarcoCerranoCarloBavestrelloGiorgioCarellaMircoPansiniMaurizioCalcinaiBarbaraDiversity of Porifera in the Mediterranean coralligenous accretions, with description of a new speciesZookeys2792013201333613710.3897/zookeys.336.5139 Halicnemia geniculata http://species-id.net/wiki/Halicnemia_geniculata Sarà, 1958Figs 13A–DHalicnemia geniculata Sarà, 1958: 237.Material examined.

Specimen IG-F-BL4-sp1-sciaf.; alcohol preserved, Gallinara Island (station 2, Falconara) 44°01'22"N, 8°13'34"E, depth 35 m, collected on 17-06-2009. The specimen was entirely used for spicule preparations.

Description.

Small and thin, yellow-ochre encrustation (1 cm2) on a coralligenous block.

Skeleton. Not observed.

Spicules. Long tylostyles, 405 (1351.7) 1976 × 1.5 (2.7) 4 μm, generally straight, with terminal or subterminal swellings variable in shape; irregular and polytylote forms are to be found (Fig. 13A). Rabdhotylostyles with heads as above, 147(242)705 × 1.5 (2.7) 4 μm (Fig. 13B); oxeas long, sinuous and thin, 460 (757) 1118 × 1.5 (2.5) 5 mm (Fig. 13C); acanthoxeas slightly curved or bent, uniformly spined, 42.5 (51.8) 62.5 × 1.5 (1.8) 2 μm (Fig. 13D).

Halicnemia geniculata. A Magnifications of the tylostyle heads B Rabdhotylostyles C Oxeas, long, sinuous and thin D Acanthoxeas.

Distribution and discussion.

This species, originally described from a superficial cave of the Gulf of Naples (Sarà 1958) was recorded at 60–70 m depth in the same area (Sarà and Siribelli 1962) and in caves close to Marseille (Pouliquen 1972). It is a Mediterranean endemic species (Pansini and Longo 2008) and a new finding for the Ligurian Sea and the coralligenous community.

SaràM (1958) Studio sui Poriferi di una grotta di marea del Golfo di Napoli.Archivio Zoologico Italiano43: 203-281.SaràMSiribelliL (1962) La fauna di Poriferi delle ‘secche’ del golfo di Napoli. II. La secca di Benda Palummo.Annuario dell’Istituto e Museo di Zoologia dell’Università di Napoli14(2): 1-62.PouliquenL (1972) Les spongiaires des grottes sous-marines de la région de Marseille: Ecologie et systématique.Téthys3(4): 717-758.PansiniMLongoC (2008) Porifera. In: ReliniG (Ed) Checklist della flora e della fauna dei mari italiani.Ministero dell’Ambiente e tutela del territorio, Roma.Biologia Marina Mediterranea15(1): 42-66.