Wörheide, G. & Hooper, J.N.A. 1999:
Calcarea from the Great Barrier Reef (Australia).
1: Cryptic Calcinea from Heron Island and Wistari Reef
(Capricorn-Bunker Group)
Memoirs of the Queensland Museum 43(2):
859-891. Brisbane. ISSN 0079-8835.

Abstract:

Fourteen species of calcareous sponges (Porifera: Calcarea) of the subclass Calcinea are described from cryptic and semi-cryptic habitats of Heron Island and Wistari Reef, Capricorn-Bunker Group, southern Great Barrier Reef (GBR). Three are new records for the GBR (Soleniscus stolonifer (Dendy, 1891); Leucaltis clathria Haeckel, 1872; Leucetta microraphis Haeckel, 1872), one a new locality record for Australia (Levinella prolifera (Dendy, 1913)), and eight are new to science (Clathrina heronensis, C. wistariensis, C. adusta, C. parva, C. helveola, C. luteoculcitella, Soleniscus radovani and Leucetta villosa n.spp.). In the taxonomically difficult groups Clathrina and Leucetta differentiation between sibling species is supported by statistically significant differences in actinal lengths of spicules. Stable isotope analysis of spicules from nine species in both subclasses of Calcarea show a clear distinction between Calcinea (negative d 13C values) and Calcaronea (positive d 13C values), indicating that different biocalcification processes might take place in each subclass.

Keywords: Porifera, Calcarea, Calcinea, Clathrina, Soleniscus, Levinella, Leucaltis, Leucetta, Pericharax, taxonomy, new species, Great Barrier Reef.

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Copyright © 1999, 2000 Queensland Museum & Gert Wörheide