Van Soest Rob W M, Beglinger Elly J, De Voogd Nicole J
Netherlands Centre for Biodiversity, Zoological Museum of Amsterdam, P.O. Box 94766, 1090 GT Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Zookeys. 2010 Nov 16(68):1-88. doi: 10.3897/zookeys.68.729.
We present a review of astrophorid species possessing calthrops megascleres as structural megascleres (including species with dichotriaene modifications, but excluding mesotriaene and trichotriaene bearing species). Radiating oxeas characteristic of most astrophorids are lacking in such sponges, but auxiliary oxeas are apparently present in some species. These sponges are currently assigned to two families, Pachastrellidae with four nominal genera Dercitus, Stoeba, Dercitancorina, Halinastra (the latter two generally considered junior synonyms of Stoeba), and Calthropellidae with nominal genera Calthropella, Corticellopsis (usually considered a junior synonym), Pachataxa and Pachastrissa. Our review of many original specimens and extensive new material demonstrates the existence of considerable morphological similarity in megasclere shape and arrangement, and possible overlap of some microscleres of these sponges: pseudasters in Dercitus resembling euasters in Calthropella, ataxasters and other modified types in Calthropellidae resembling rhabds in a species of Dercitus. Pachastrellid representatives are proposed to be united in a single genus Dercitus, recognizable as (dicho-)calthrops bearing sponges with sanidaster-like microrhabds. Three subgenera, Dercitus s.s., Stoeba and the revived Halinastra are distinguished to accommodate species groups sharing additional characters. Dercitancorina is merged with Dercitus (Stoeba), because the type species, Dercitus lesinensis was found to be barely distinct from Dercitus (Stoeba) plicatus. Similarly, the calthropellid representatives are proposed to be united in a single genus Calthropella recognizable as calthrops bearing sponges with oxyasters. Three subgenera, Calthropella s.s., Pachataxa and Corticellopsis are distinguished to accommodate species groups sharing additional characters. The calthropellid genus Pachastrissa is considered a junior synonym of Calthropella s.s. because its type species, Pachastrella geodioides, is barely distinct from the type species of Calthropella, Calthropella simplex. Two species previously assigned to Dercitus or Stoeba (Dercitus loricatus and Stoeba natalensis) are excluded from the genus Dercitus as they do not fit with the emended and improved definition of the genus. One species assigned to Calthropella, Calthropella digitata, is excluded from that genus and assigned to the ancorinid genus Stelletta. Based on the similarity of the megascleres and their structure-less arrangement, we predict that the two reviewed genera will be found to be closely related and eventually will need to be accomodated in a single family, but independent molecular evidence is awaited before changes in the family classification, including a verdict on the validity of the family Calthropellidae, will be proposed. Our review included 38 valid species among which fourteen species and one subspecies appear to be new to science. Four of these were represented by insufficient material for a proper description, but the remaining ten are described as new species: Dercitus (Stoeba) senegalensissp. n., Dercitus (Stoeba) verdensissp. n., Dercitus (Stoeba) fijiensissp. n., Dercitus (Stoeba) bahamensissp. n., Dercitus (Halinastra) berausp. n., Dercitus (Halinastra) japonensissp. n., Dercitus (Halinastra) arubensissp. n., Dercitus (Halinastra) sibogaesp. n., Calthropella (Calthropella) xavieraesp. n., and Calthropella (Pachataxa) pyriferasp. n. The new subspecies, Dercitus (Dercitus) bucklandi lusitanicusssp. n. is described for southern East Atlantic populations of the nominal species. Several specimens assigned to existing species were found to be deviating to the extent that they are likely members of further undescribed species. These are briefly discussed to facilitate further studies of the diversity of the two genera. Species of both genera and the six subgenera, including deviating or insufficiently characterized specimens belonging to species not yet properly described, are keyed out. Distribution patterns are discussed.
我们对具有刺状大骨针作为结构大骨针的星骨海绵物种进行了综述（包括具有二歧骨针变体的物种，但不包括具有中骨针和三歧骨针的物种）。大多数星骨海绵特有的辐射状轴针在这类海绵中不存在，但在一些物种中显然存在辅助轴针。这些海绵目前被归为两个科，厚星海绵科，有四个名义属，即德氏海绵属、斯托巴海绵属、德氏拟角海绵属、哈林星海绵属（后两个通常被认为是斯托巴海绵属的次异名），以及刺星海绵科，有名义属刺星海绵属、拟皮质海绵属（通常被认为是次异名）、厚斧海绵属和厚星海绵属。我们对许多原始标本和大量新材料的综述表明，这些海绵的大骨针形状和排列存在相当大的形态相似性，并且一些微骨针可能存在重叠：德氏海绵属中的假星骨针类似于刺星海绵属中的真星骨针，刺星海绵科中的无序星骨针和其他变体类型类似于德氏海绵属一个物种中的杆骨针。厚星海绵科的代表物种被提议合并为一个单一的德氏海绵属，可识别为具有似砂星骨针微杆骨针的（二歧）刺状海绵。区分出三个亚属，即狭义德氏海绵亚属、斯托巴海绵亚属和恢复的哈林星海绵亚属，以容纳具有其他共同特征的物种组。德氏拟角海绵属与德氏海绵属（斯托巴海绵亚属）合并，因为模式种莱辛德氏海绵被发现与褶状德氏海绵（斯托巴海绵亚属）几乎没有区别。同样，刺星海绵科的代表物种被提议合并为一个单一的刺星海绵属，可识别为具有氧化星骨针的刺状海绵。区分出三个亚属，即狭义刺星海绵亚属、厚斧海绵亚属和拟皮质海绵亚属，以容纳具有其他共同特征的物种组。刺星海绵科的厚星海绵属被认为是狭义刺星海绵亚属的次异名，因为其模式种大地厚星海绵与刺星海绵属的模式种简单刺星海绵几乎没有区别。两个先前被归入德氏海绵属或斯托巴海绵属的物种（带甲德氏海绵和纳塔尔斯托巴海绵）被排除在德氏海绵属之外，因为它们不符合该属修订和改进后的定义。一个被归入刺星海绵属的物种，指状刺星海绵，被排除在该属之外，并被归入锚状海绵属的斯氏海绵属。基于大骨针及其无结构排列的相似性，我们预测这两个综述的属将被发现密切相关，最终需要归入一个单一的科，但在提出包括对刺星海绵科有效性的判定在内的科级分类变化之前，还需等待独立的分子证据。我们的综述包括38个有效物种，其中14个物种和1个亚种似乎是科学上新发现的。其中4个物种的材料不足以进行恰当描述，但其余10个被描述为新物种：塞内加尔德氏海绵（斯托巴海绵亚属）新种、韦尔登德氏海绵（斯托巴海绵亚属）新种、斐济德氏海绵（斯托巴海绵亚属）新种、巴哈蒙德氏海绵（斯托巴海绵亚属）新种、贝劳德氏海绵（哈林星海绵亚属）新种、日本德氏海绵（哈林星海绵亚属）新种、阿鲁巴德氏海绵（哈林星海绵亚属）新种、西比加德氏海绵（哈林星海绵亚属）新种、扎维埃拉刺星海绵（狭义刺星海绵亚属）新种和具角刺星海绵（厚斧海绵亚属）新种。新亚种，布克兰德氏海绵（狭义德氏海绵亚属）卢西塔尼亚亚种，是针对名义物种在东大西洋南部的种群描述的。发现一些被归入现有物种的标本存在偏差，以至于它们可能是尚未描述的其他物种的成员。对这些进行了简要讨论，以促进对这两个属多样性的进一步研究。对这两个属以及六个亚属的物种，包括属于尚未恰当描述物种的偏差或特征描述不足的标本，进行了检索表编制。讨论了分布模式。
