identifier	taxonID	type	CVterm	format	language	title	description	additionalInformationURL	UsageTerms	rights	Owner	contributor	creator	bibliographicCitation
039A1C11FFACFFA4FF0CFDEDFB8C3341.text	039A1C11FFACFFA4FF0CFDEDFB8C3341.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Theonella Gray 1868	<html xmlns:mods="http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3">
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            <p> Genus  Theonella Gray, 1868</p>
            <p> Rhachella Sollas, 1888</p>
            <p> Diagnosis. with characteristics of  Theonellidae ; ectosomal spicules as phyllo- to dichotriaenes; large choanosomal oxeas sometimes present; megascleres sometimes completely absent; microscleres as small, acanthose microrhabds only, sometimes curved slightly. </p>
            <p> Type-species.  Theonella swinhoei Gray, 1868 ; by monotypy (Gray 1868). </p>
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	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039A1C11FFACFFA4FF0CFDEDFB8C3341	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Hall, Kathryn A.;Ekins, Merrick G.;Hooper, John N. A.	Hall, Kathryn A., Ekins, Merrick G., Hooper, John N. A. (2014): Two new desma-less species of Theonella Gray, 1868 (Demospongiae: Astrophorida: Theonellidae), from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, and a re-evaluation of one species assigned previously to Dercitus Gray, 1867. Zootaxa 3814 (4): 451-477, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3814.4.1
039A1C11FFACFFA4FF0CFF7AFDD231E2.text	039A1C11FFACFFA4FF0CFF7AFDD231E2.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Theonellidae Lendenfeld 1903	<html xmlns:mods="http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3">
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            <p> Family  Theonellidae Lendenfeld, 1903</p>
            <p> Diagnosis (after Pisera and Lévi 2002; Fromont and Pisera, 2011): polymorphic, choanosomal spicules as tetraclone desmas; ectosomal spicules as phyllo- to discotriaenes; large choanosomal oxeas sometimes present; megascleres sometimes completely absent (some  Theonella ); microscleres characteristically as small, acanthose microrhabds, sometimes centrangulate or with slight curve, sometimes as streptasters and microrhabds (  Manihinea ) or streptasters only (  Racodiscula ). </p>
            <p> Type-genus:  Theonella Gray, 1868 . </p>
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	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039A1C11FFACFFA4FF0CFF7AFDD231E2	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Hall, Kathryn A.;Ekins, Merrick G.;Hooper, John N. A.	Hall, Kathryn A., Ekins, Merrick G., Hooper, John N. A. (2014): Two new desma-less species of Theonella Gray, 1868 (Demospongiae: Astrophorida: Theonellidae), from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, and a re-evaluation of one species assigned previously to Dercitus Gray, 1867. Zootaxa 3814 (4): 451-477, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3814.4.1
039A1C11FFACFFA7FF0CFC0CFE0A3190.text	039A1C11FFACFFA7FF0CFC0CFE0A3190.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Theonella deliqua Hall & Ekins & Hooper 2014	<html xmlns:mods="http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3">
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            <p> Theonella deliqua n. sp.</p>
            <p>Figs 1–4</p>
            <p>
                 Material examined.   Holotype: QM G329195 (=SBD520375), Australia,  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 15.005/lat -23.775)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=15.005&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-23.775">Great Barrier Reef</a>
                 , inter-reef sea floor, south of  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 15.005/lat -23.775)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=15.005&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-23.775">Wreck Island Reef</a>
                 , 23.775°S 15.005°E, 41.3 m (depth), coll. CSIRO  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 15.005/lat -23.775)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=15.005&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-23.775">Great Barrier Reef Seabed Biodiversity</a>
                 Project on RV Gwendoline May, 13.Apr.2004, epibenthic sled  .   Paratype: QM G325567 (=SBD518107), Australia,  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 151.975/lat -23.375)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=151.975&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-23.375">Great Barrier Reef</a>
                 , inter-reef sea floor, south of Wreck Island Reef, 23.375°S 151.975°E, 43.5 m (depth), coll  .   CSIRO  Great Barrier Reef Seabed Biodiversity Project on   RV  Gwendoline May , 22.Apr.2004, epibenthic sled  . 
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            <p>Description. based on examination of holotype and paratype; both specimens post-fixed in ethanol (70%) after initial frozen storage.</p>
            <p> Growth form and gross morphology: sponge consists of very thin sheets, thickness ~ 50 µm; sheets encrust exclusively over single species of  Tenagodus Guettard, 1770 (  Gastropoda, Caenogastropoda ,  Siliquariidae ); sponge forms mass with snails, cements  Tenagodus shells, incorporates small amounts of algae, detritus and debris;  Tenagodus shells in interior of mass appear non-live, shells at perimeter of mass sometimes contain live (at time of fixation) snails; mass incorporates  Tenagodus of various ages, some tiny (&lt;1 mm diameter), others mature (&gt; 5 mm diameter); holotype mass measures ~ 5 × 7.5 × 3 cm (total mass, including shells) (Figs 1A, 2A–D). </p>
            <p>Colour: unknown in life; bright orange portions of sponge mixed with green algae and cream snail shells when frozen; colour retained in ethanol; stains ethanol pale golden yellow; yellow pigment greasy.</p>
            <p>Oscules: unobserved macroscopically in frozen and fixed material; visible microscopically, few, inconspicuous, shallow, discrete, elliptical, ~ 100–200 µm (length), distributed sparsely (Fig 3A).</p>
            <p>Texture: difficult to determine due to inclusion of large volume of snail shells; sponge very soft, fragile, friable, granular, flaccid, limp, highly compressible, slowly resilient, spongy.</p>
            <p>Surface ornamentation: even, smooth.</p>
            <p>Ectosomal skeleton: indistinguishable from choanosome.</p>
            <p>Choanosomal skeleton: lax, vague; rigid skeleton entirely absent; skeleton consists only of confused arrangement of interstitial microscleres scattered throughout mesohyl; microscleres sparse in patches, distributed singularly, concentrated in other regions, forming dense carpet; collagen homogenous; occasional foreign megascleres (oxeas, regular triacts) incorporated into mesohyl (Figs 2D, 3A–C).</p>
            <p>Megascleres: nil.</p>
            <p>Microscleres: single category of microrhabd; microrhabds as highly spined microxeas, small, isodiametric, slender, fine, slightly curved, curvature irregular, tips sharply hastate, rhabd covered with numerous, fine, narrow, conical spines; spines as long or longer than rhabd width, project prominently from spicule shaft, arise perpendicular to axis; shaft straight, lacks torsion; dimensions 7.2–21.6 (14.6) × 2.5–3.4 (3.0) µm (Fig 3D).</p>
            <p> Etymology. The specific epithet  deliqua derives from the Latin deliquus (adjective), meaning lacking or wanting, and refers to the absence of desmas in this species. </p>
            <p>DNA sequence data. 1 COI barcode sequence was obtained for the holotype (GenBank Accession: KJ494355; see Table 1); this sequence was 709 bp in length (including primers).</p>
            <p> Ecology and distribution. Specimens of  T. deliqua have, to date, been recovered only from the seabed of the inter-reef region of the Great Barrier Reef. Both specimens that we have examined have formed close associations with specimens of a single species of  Tenagodus (Siliquariidae) . Species of  Tenagodus are known to occur only in obligate relationships with sponges (Bieler 2004), although species-specificity (between sponge and snail) of this obligate relationship has not been established (Pansini et al. 1999). </p>
            <p> Remarks. During examination of the holotype of  Theonella deliqua n. sp. , a dense mass of regular triactinal spicules (calthrops) was found; many of these calthrops were damaged and had broken rays (Fig 2D). This mass of spicules was found lying in a valley between two  Tenagodus shells and incorporated broken oxeas and other spicules (from the Family  Didemnidae Giard, 1872 (Class  Ascidiacea ) and some possibly of holothurian origin). Another similar region, containing an accumulation of monactinal spicules, was found in the broken mouth of an empty  Tenagodus shell (Fig 2C). These regions overlie the thin sheets of  T. deliqua , but are not incorporated intimately into the mesohyl of the sponge. The localisation of the spicule masses, in conjunction with their varied composition, indicates clearly that they are of foreign origin, and are not innate components. Further,  T. deliqua itself encrusts closely over the surface of the  Tenagodus shells, cementing only the shells together; detritus and debris appears to amass in rafts at low points where two shells are joined by the sponge. </p>
            <p> The microrhabds of the holotype and paratype of  T. deliqua are of similar proportion, averaging 14.6 µm in length, and spanning a range from 7.1 to 21.6 µm. The range of spicule measurements was normally distributed (Fig. 4), although one spicule was detected which lay outside of this normal range, measuring only 6.7 µm. Although the range of microrhabd length is quite large, the majority of spicules ranges between 12 and 17 µm in length, and this size may be interpreted as “typical” for specimens of  T. deliqua . </p>
            <p> Comments. Specimens of  T. deliqua are readily distinguished from the type-species for  Theonella ,  T. swinhoei , (and all other currently known species), by the absence of tetractinal megascleres. No desmas and no triaenes (phyllotrianes nor dichotriaenes) were observed in either specimen of  T. deliqua that we examined. The spicule complement of  T. deliqua comprises only microrhabds; this condition has not been observed to date in any recorded species of  Theonella . Despite the lack of obvious morphological homologies with  T. swinhoei and the other members of  Theonella , membership of this new species to  Theonella can be asserted confidently. The microrhabds of  T. deliqua have a similar morphology to those observed in  T. swinhoei and other species of  Theonella . Although they are not noted directly in the original description by Gray (1868), we have examined material in the QM Porifera collection which is attributed to  T. swinhoei , and observed that the microrhabds of  T. swinhoei , like those in  T. deliqua , are generally straight; although the rhabd may be bent, the central axis is free completely of any torsion, with fine, conical spines projecting perpendicularly from the spicule shaft. The lack of torsion is significant and shared between the microscleres of  T. swinhoei and  T. deliqua . The straightness of the rods is in contrast to the morphology seen in the streptasters of other astrophorids; this straight morphology justifies our use of the term “microrhabd”, rather than sanidaster or streptaster, to describe these microscleres. Further, and perhaps more significantly, the combination of the corroborating molecular analyses (see below) and the presence of shared chemotaxonomic characters (see below) offers strong support to the attribution of this new species to  Theonella . </p>
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	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039A1C11FFACFFA7FF0CFC0CFE0A3190	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Hall, Kathryn A.;Ekins, Merrick G.;Hooper, John N. A.	Hall, Kathryn A., Ekins, Merrick G., Hooper, John N. A. (2014): Two new desma-less species of Theonella Gray, 1868 (Demospongiae: Astrophorida: Theonellidae), from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, and a re-evaluation of one species assigned previously to Dercitus Gray, 1867. Zootaxa 3814 (4): 451-477, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3814.4.1
039A1C11FFAFFFAAFF0CF9E9FE85322A.text	039A1C11FFAFFFAAFF0CF9E9FE85322A.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Theonella maricae Hall & Ekins & Hooper 2014	<html xmlns:mods="http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3">
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            <p> Theonella maricae n. sp.</p>
            <p>Figs 1, 4–5</p>
            <p>
                 Material examined.   Holotype: QM G331427 (=SBD513035), Australia,  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 151.875/lat -23.095)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=151.875&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-23.095">Great Barrier Reef</a>
                 , inter-reef sea floor, south-east of  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 151.875/lat -23.095)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=151.875&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-23.095">Guthrie Shoal</a>
                 , 23.095°S 151.875°E, 28.0 m (depth), coll. CSIRO  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 151.875/lat -23.095)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=151.875&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-23.095">Great Barrier Reef Seabed Biodiversity</a>
                 Project on RV Lady Basten, 22.Sep.2004, epibenthic sled. 
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            <p>Description. Based on examination of holotype; specimen post-fixed in ethanol (70%) after initial frozen storage.</p>
            <p>Growth form and gross morphology: s ponge consists of very thin sheets, thickness ~ 50 µm; sheets encrust over assorted non-specific substrates, cements a variety of unidentified broken gastropod shells, diatoms, broken coral debris into single mass; incorporates large amounts of filamentous algae, quartz sand and debris; holotype in three small ovoid masses, largest mass measures ~ 2 × 2 × 1 cm (total mass dimensions) (Figs 1B, 5A–B).</p>
            <p>Colour: unknown in life; pale orange to yellow portions of sponge mixed with green algae and dirty cream to brown snail shells, sand and debris when frozen; colour retained in ethanol; stains ethanol pale golden yellow; yellow pigment greasy.</p>
            <p>Oscules: unobserved macroscopically in frozen and fixed material; also unobserved microscopically.</p>
            <p>Texture: difficult to determine because of large amounts of debris in sponge mass; sponge soft, fragile, friable, granular, flaccid, limp, highly compressible, slowly resilient, spongy.</p>
            <p>Surface ornamentation: even, lightly granular.</p>
            <p>Ectosomal skeleton: indistinguishable from choanosome.</p>
            <p>Choanosomal skeleton: lax, vague; rigid skeleton entirely absent; skeleton consists only of confused arrangement of interstitial microscleres scattered throughout mesohyl; microscleres sparse in patches, distributed singularly, concentrated in other regions, forming moderately dense carpet; collagen homogenous, slightly granular in appearance; occasional foreign spicules (oxeas, rods from ascidians) incorporated into mesohyl (Figs 5B–C).</p>
            <p>Megascleres: nil.</p>
            <p>Microscleres: single category of microrhabd; microrhabds as highly spined microxeas, robust, large, slightly curved, curvature irregular, tapering at ends, tips pointed, shaft covered with numerous, fine, short, conical spines, tips unspined; spines shorter than rhabd width, raised obviously from spicule shaft, arise perpendicular to axis; shaft straight, lacks torsion; dimensions 18.1–51.6 (37.5) × 2.2–4.4 (3.4) µm (Fig 5D).</p>
            <p> Etymology. This species is named for Mary Kay Harper, College of Pharmacy, University of Utah, who is a close and extensive collaborator on the chemistry of these sponges, and whose painstaking chemical and morphometric observations on theonellids are helping to uncover suites of cryptic species. The chemical complement that Ms Harper has found in specimens of  Theonella from the western Pacific may be of taxonomic importance and we honour her contribution to sponge chemotaxonomy in naming this species for her. </p>
            <p> DNA sequence data.  1 COI barcode sequence was obtained for the holotype (GenBank Accession: KJ494356; see Table 1); this sequence was 709 bp in length (including primers) . </p>
            <p> Ecology and distribution. The single specimen of  T. maricae was found in the inter-reef region of the Great Barrier Reef, within the Capricorn Bunker group. </p>
            <p> Remarks. We have, to date, found only one specimen of  T. maricae in our collection. This species is difficult to isolate macroscopically, and it is likely that more specimens remain yet to be identified. Our examination of the holotype specimen shows that, like specimens of  T. deliqua , large amounts of foreign sponge and non-sponge debris are incorporated into the structure of  T. maricae (Figs 5A–B). Large amounts of filamentous algae, or possibly filamentous bacteria, can be observed within the overall mass of the holotype. </p>
            <p> Measurements of the microrhabds of the holotype of  T. maricae are in one class, with an average length of 37.5 µm and covering a range from 18.1 to 51.6 µm. This range follows a broadly normal distribution (Fig. 4), although it is skewed slightly towards the larger measurements, with the most frequent length approximately reaching 48.0 µm; the 95% confidence interval for the median measurement is 35.9–40.2 µm. Detailed examination of the range of the spicules indicates that although the smallest recorded microrhabd measured 18.1 µm, the majority of the spicules is much larger, with the microrhabs typically exceeding 36 µm in length. </p>
            <p> Comments. The description of  T. maricae adds a second species which does not contain megascleres to  Theonella . As with specimens of  T. deliqua , the specimen of  T. maricae is characterised largely by the absence of any tetractinal or monactinal structural megascleres; both species possess only microrhabds as the native spicule complement. The holotype of  T. maricae is distinguished readily, however, from the specimens of  T. deliqua by the size and shape of the microscleres. The microrhabds of  T. maricae are typically at least twice as large as those of  T. deliqua (38 µm v. 15 µm). The spines along the rhabd are small and blunt, measuring less than the width of the shaft; this is in contrast to the long and sharply pointed spines along the microrhabds of  T. deliqua . The overall composition of  T. maricae incorporates a variety of foreign debris and seafloor rubble, further distinguishing it from  T. deliqua , which encrusts almost exclusively over the live and dead shells of a single species of  Tenagodus gastropod. </p>
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	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039A1C11FFAFFFAAFF0CF9E9FE85322A	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Hall, Kathryn A.;Ekins, Merrick G.;Hooper, John N. A.	Hall, Kathryn A., Ekins, Merrick G., Hooper, John N. A. (2014): Two new desma-less species of Theonella Gray, 1868 (Demospongiae: Astrophorida: Theonellidae), from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, and a re-evaluation of one species assigned previously to Dercitus Gray, 1867. Zootaxa 3814 (4): 451-477, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3814.4.1
039A1C11FFA2FFADFF0CFD35FD7431DB.text	039A1C11FFA2FFADFF0CFD35FD7431DB.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Theonella xantha (Sutcliffe, Pitcher & Hooper 2010) Hall & Ekins & Hooper 2014	<html xmlns:mods="http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3">
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            <p> Theonella xantha (Sutcliffe, Pitcher &amp; Hooper, 2010) n. comb.</p>
            <p>Figs 1, 4, 6</p>
            <p> Dercitus xanthus Sutcliffe, Hooper &amp; Pitcher, 2010, p. 6</p>
            <p> Dercitus (Stoeba) xanthus Sutcliffe, Hooper &amp; Pitcher, 2010 ; van Soest, Beglinger &amp; de Voogd, 2010, p. 38 (subgenus reassignment); van Soest 2012c (online resource) </p>
            <p>
                 Material examined.   Holotype: QM G329976 (=SBD513022), Australia,  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 151.665/lat -23.7249)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=151.665&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-23.7249">Great Barrier Reef</a>
                 , inter-reef sea floor, south-east of  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 151.665/lat -23.7249)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=151.665&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-23.7249">Rock Cod Shoal</a>
                 , 23.7249°S 151.665°E, 34.3 m (depth), coll. CSIRO  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 151.665/lat -23.7249)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=151.665&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-23.7249">Great Barrier Reef Seabed Biodiversity</a>
                 Project on RV Lady Basten, 20.Sep.2004, epibenthic sled  .   Paratypes: QM G329977 (=SBD513042), Australia, Great Barrier Reef, inter-reef sea floor, west of  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 152.105/lat -23.8849)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=152.105&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-23.8849">Fairfax Island</a>
                 , 23.8849°S 152.105°E, 41.8 m (depth), coll  .  CSIRO Great Barrier Reef Seabed Biodiversity Project on RV Gwendoline May, 13.Apr.2004, epibenthic sled ;   QM G329978 (=SBD505424), Australia, Great Barrier Reef, inter-reef sea floor, west of  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 147.935/lat -19.4049)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=147.935&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-19.4049">Old Reef</a>
                 , 19.4049°S 147.935°E, 42.0 m (depth), coll  .  CSIRO Great Barrier Reef Seabed Biodiversity Project on RV Lady Basten, 27.Nov.2003, epibenthic sled . 
            </p>
            <p>
                 Other material:   QM G329095 (=SBD500449), Australia, Great Barrier Reef, inter-reef sea floor, east of  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 147.685/lat -18.8349)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=147.685&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-18.8349">Davies Reef</a>
                 , 18.8349°S 147.685°E, 62.9 m (depth), coll  .  CSIRO Great Barrier Reef Seabed Biodiversity Project on RV Lady Basten, 22.Sep.2003, trawl ;   QM G329183 (=SBD517180), Australia, Great Barrier Reef, inter-reef sea floor, north-west of  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 143.825/lat -11.805)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=143.825&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-11.805">Devlin Reef</a>
                 , 11.805°S 143.825°E, 37.9 m (depth), coll  .  CSIRO Great Barrier Reef Seabed Biodiversity Project on RV Lady Basten, 5.Feb.2005, trawl ;   QM G329186 (=SBD517310), Australia, Great Barrier Reef, inter-reef sea floor, north-west of  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 143.825/lat -11.805)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=143.825&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-11.805">Devlin Reef</a>
                 , 11.805°S 143.825°E, 34.7 m (depth), coll  .  CSIRO Great Barrier Reef Seabed Biodiversity Project on RV Lady Basten, 4.Feb.2005, trawl ;   QM G329283 (=SBD537784), Australia, Great Barrier Reef, inter-reef sea floor, east of  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 151.585/lat -23.8349)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=151.585&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-23.8349">Gladstone</a>
                 , 23.8349°S 151.585°E, 26.9 m (depth), coll  .  CSIRO Great Barrier Reef Seabed Biodiversity Project on  RV Lady Basten, 14.Nov.2005, trawl; G331398 (=SBD500399), Australia, Great Barrier Reef, inter-reef sea floor, south-west of  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 147.3949/lat -19.045)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=147.3949&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-19.045">Little Broadhurst Reef</a>
                 , 19.045°S 147.3949°E, 14.9 m (depth)  , QM coll.  CSIRO Great Barrier Reef Seabed Biodiversity Project on RV Lady Basten, 21.Sep.2003, epibenthic sled ;   QM G331401 (=SBD500654), Australia, Great Barrier Reef, inter-reef sea floor, west of  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 147.525/lat -18.925)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=147.525&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-18.925">Big Broadhurst Reef</a>
                 , 18.925°S 147.525°E, 17.2 m (depth), coll  .  CSIRO Great Barrier Reef Seabed Biodiversity Project on RV Lady Basten, 22.Sep.2003, epibenthic sled ;   QM G331411 (=SBD506498), Australia, Great Barrier Reef, inter-reef sea floor, south-west of  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 145.6149/lat -16.245)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=145.6149&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-16.245">Rudder Reef</a>
                 , 16.245°S 145.6149°E, 21.0 m (depth), coll  .  CSIRO Great Barrier Reef Seabed Biodiversity Project on RV Lady Basten, 9.Oct.2003, epibenthic sled ;   QM G331426 (=SBD512852), Australia, Great Barrier Reef, inter-reef sea floor, south-west of  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 151.875/lat -23.625)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=151.875&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-23.625">Lamont Reef</a>
                 , 23.625°S 151.875°E, 27.3 m (depth), coll  .  CSIRO Great Barrier Reef Seabed Biodiversity Project on RV Lady Basten, 21.Sep.2004, epibenthic sled ;   QM G331429 (=SBD513056),vAustralia, Great Barrier Reef, inter-reef sea floor, north-west of  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 151.7049/lat -23.2249)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=151.7049&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-23.2249">Tryon Island</a>
                 , 23.2249°S 151.7049°E, 28.0 m (depth), coll  .  CSIRO Great Barrier Reef Seabed Biodiversity Project on RV Lady Basten, 22.Sep.2004, epibenthic sled ;   QM G331436 (=SBD513964), Australia, Great Barrier Reef, inter-reef sea floor, north-east of  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 147.095/lat -18.995)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=147.095&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-18.995">Magnetic Island</a>
                 , 18.995°S 147.095°E, 35.0 m (depth), coll  .  CSIRO Great Barrier Reef Seabed Biodiversity Project on  RV Lady Basten, 26.Apr.2004, epibenthic sled; G331463 (=SBD525255), Australia, Great Barrier Reef, inter-reef sea floor, east of  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 151.9333/lat -23.935)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=151.9333&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-23.935">Gladstone</a>
                 , 23.935°S 151.9333°E, 51.0 m (depth)  , QM coll.  CSIRO Great Barrier Reef Seabed Biodiversity Project on RV Lady Basten, 19.Sep.2004, epibenthic sled ;   QM G331662 (=SBD524169), Australia, Great Barrier Reef, inter-reef sea floor, north-east of  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 150.385/lat -22.1549)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=150.385&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-22.1549">Mumford Reef</a>
                 , 22.1549°S 150.385°E, 79.2 m (depth), coll  .  CSIRO Great Barrier Reef Seabed Biodiversity Project on RV Lady Basten, 9.May.2004, epibenthic sled ;   QM G331964, Australia, Great Barrier Reef, inter-reef sea floor, south-west of Polmaise Reef, 23.6383°S 151.5025°E, 26.0 m (depth), coll. Vicki Hall, Northern Fisheries, Cairns (former  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 151.5025/lat -23.6383)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=151.5025&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-23.6383">Department of Employment</a>
                 ,  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 151.5025/lat -23.6383)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=151.5025&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-23.6383">Economic Development</a>
                 and  
                <a title="Search Plazi for locations around (long 151.5025/lat -23.6383)" href="https://tb.plazi.org/GgServer/search?materialsCitation.longitude=151.5025&amp;materialsCitation.latitude=-23.6383">Innovation</a>
                 , Queensland Government), 22.Nov.1999, epibenthic sled  . 
            </p>
            <p>Redescription. Based on examination of holotype, 2 paratypes and 16 vouchers; all specimens post-fixed in ethanol (70%) after initial frozen storage.</p>
            <p>Growth form and gross morphology: sponge consists of very thin sheets, thickness ~ 30 µm; sheets encrust over assorted non-specific substrates, cements a variety of unidentified broken gastropod shells, polychaete tubes, diatoms, broken coral debris into single mass; incorporates large amounts of quartz sand and debris, small amounts of filamentous algae; holotype mass measures ~ 4 × 5 × 3 cm (total mass dimensions) (Figs 1C, 6A–B)</p>
            <p>Colour: unknown in life; dark orange to yellow portions of sponge mixed with green algae and dirty cream to brown sand and debris when frozen; colour retained in ethanol; stains ethanol dark golden yellow; yellow pigment greasy.</p>
            <p>Oscules: unobserved macroscopically in frozen and fixed material; visible microscopically, few, inconspicuous, shallow, discrete, broadly elliptical, ~ 100 µm (diameter), distributed sparsely.</p>
            <p>Texture: difficult to determine because of large amounts of debris in sponge mass; mass friable, fragile; sponge soft, very fragile, friable, granular, flaccid, limp, highly compressible, slowly resilient, spongy.</p>
            <p>Surface ornamentation: even, smooth.</p>
            <p>Ectosomal skeleton: indistinguishable from choanosome.</p>
            <p>Choanosomal skeleton: lax, vague; rigid skeleton entirely absent; skeleton consists only of confused arrangement of interstitial microscleres scattered throughout mesohyl; microscleres sparse in patches, distributed singularly, concentrated in other regions, sometimes forming very dense carpet; collagen homogenous; occasional foreign megascleres (oxeas, regular triacts) incorporated into mesohyl (Figs 6B–C).</p>
            <p>Megascleres: nil.</p>
            <p>Microscleres: single category of microrhabd; microrhabds as highly spined microxeas, small, isodiametric, robust, generally straight but rarely slightly curved, curvature irregular, tips rounded, rhabd covered with profuse, small, blunt, conical spines; spines shorter than rhabd width, raised obviously from spicule shaft, arise perpendicular to axis; shaft straight, lacks torsion; dimensions 8.1–21.5 (14.7) × 1.3–2.9 (2.2) µm (Fig. 6D).</p>
            <p> DNA sequence data. 15 COI barcode sequences were obtained for specimens of  T. xantha , including the holotype and both paratypes (GenBank Accession: KJ494361 – KJ494375; see Table 1); each of these sequences was 709 bp in length (including primers), except 4 which were shorter (KJ494367: 597 bp; KJ494365 &amp; KJ494369: 631 bp; KJ494361: 634 bp (including primers)). </p>
            <p> Ecology and distribution. Specimens of  T. xantha have, to date, been found associated with the seabed only in the inter-reef areas of the Great Barrier Reef. Sutcliffe et al. (2010) draw attention to enormous biomass that specimens of  T. xantha represent; they are distributed widely across the entire span of the Great Barrier Reef, extending from regions of low to high latitude, and are found in high densities in the inter-reef area. Sutcliffe et al. (2010) did not find any major correlation between the presence or prevalence of  T. xantha and the composition of the underlying substrate, although specimens were not recovered commonly in areas with a high proportion of mud in the sediment. </p>
            <p> Remarks. We re-examined the holotype and both paratypes, in addition to 16 vouchers, of  T. xantha using SEM and light microscopy. In no specimen were we able to observe any native megascleres; all specimens were found to contain only small, microspined microrhabds. The samples were morphologically homogeneous, with large amounts of debris incorporated into the structure of all specimens, including non-active polychaete tubes and shells, fragments of diatoms, and coralline and siliceous rubble. Small amounts of filamentous algae (or bacteria) were incorporated into the mass also. </p>
            <p>The measurements of the microrhabds were consistent among the samples we examined. The average microrhabd length was 14.8 µm (range 8.1 to 21.5 µm); three outlier measurements were detected (7.0 µm, 23.2 µm and 24.1 µm). The lengths fitted a normal distribution, which was not skewed appreciably. The median spicule length was 14.6 µm; there were relatively few spicules which measured less than 13.1 µm. The majority of microrhabds reached lengths of between 13 and 17 µm.</p>
            <p> Comments. This species was attributed initially to  Dercitus Gray, 1867 by Sutcliffe et al. (2010) based on their interpretation of the morphology of this species as comprising sanidasters and three-rayed calthrops (calthrops reported in 20% of their samples). Van Soest et al. (2010) and van Soest (2012c) classify  D. xanthus within the subgenus  Dercitus (Stoeba) Sollas, 1888 . We have been unable to replicate the sighting of any native calthrops in the holotype or paratypes, nor in any other specimens we examined. We can confirm the common occurrence of broken calthrops distributed sporadically in several of the samples we investigated, however, in no specimen could these be interpreted as native; indeed, in one specimen of  T. deliqua , dense rafts of non-native broken calthrops were found aggregated in portions of the sponge mass of this species also (as noted above). The geometry of regular calthrops and triods and the thickness of the rays of these megascleres may make these particular spicule morphologies exceptionally robust; the tumbled edges, however, support their foreign origins. The absence of calthrops, and the interpretation of the microscleres as microrhabds, rather than sanidasters, renders the placement of this species within  Dercitus unjustified. We interpret the morphology of this species as being consistent with other megasclere-lacking species of  Theonella , and this interpretation is supported by DNA-based studies (see below); based on these data, we designate this species within  Theonella , as  T. xantha (Sutcliffe, Hooper and Pitcher, 2010) n. comb.</p>
            <p> Morphologically, specimens of  T. xantha are very similar to those of  T. deliqua and  T. maricae , however, they may be distinguished by the shape of the microrhabds and ecological characteristics. Specimens of  T. xantha are recognisable immediately from those of  T. maricae by the size of the microrhabds; the spicules of  T. maricae are more than twice as long as those of  T. xantha . Discrimination between  T. xantha and  T. deliqua is subtler; boxplots comparing the microrhabd lengths (Fig. 4) show that the range of lengths of the microscleres of both species are broadly equivalent. The microrhabds of  T. xantha , however, are more robust in appearance than those seen in  T. deliqua . The spines along the shaft of the microrhabds of  T. xantha are bluntly conical and generally shorter than the width of the rhabd. Contrastingly, the microrhabds of  T. deliqua are less robust in appearance, being slender and bearing sharply pointed spines, which are longer than the length of the underlying rhabd. Structurally,  T. xantha , like  T. maricae , consolidates the seabed substrates and cements a variety of rubble types, however, these two species can be distinguished from  T. deliqua by this characteristic, which contrasts the aggregation of only one species of  Tenagodus shell by specimens of  T. deliqua . </p>
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	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039A1C11FFA2FFADFF0CFD35FD7431DB	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Hall, Kathryn A.;Ekins, Merrick G.;Hooper, John N. A.	Hall, Kathryn A., Ekins, Merrick G., Hooper, John N. A. (2014): Two new desma-less species of Theonella Gray, 1868 (Demospongiae: Astrophorida: Theonellidae), from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, and a re-evaluation of one species assigned previously to Dercitus Gray, 1867. Zootaxa 3814 (4): 451-477, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3814.4.1
039A1C11FFA5FFADFF0CFDB1FA15332A.text	039A1C11FFA5FFADFF0CFDB1FA15332A.taxon	http://purl.org/dc/dcmitype/Text	http://rs.tdwg.org/ontology/voc/SPMInfoItems#GeneralDescription	text/html	en	Theonella Gray 1868	<html xmlns:mods="http://www.loc.gov/mods/v3">
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            <p> Key to those species of  Theonella Gray, 1868 , which lack desmas and other megascleres </p>
            <p>1a. Encrusting species, forms thin sheets which cement detritus; desmas absent; megascleres absent; microrhabds very small, ~ 15 µm in length (ranging from 7 to 21 µm)................................................................... 2.</p>
            <p> 1b. Encrusting species, forms thin sheets which cement detritus; desmas absent; megascleres absent; microrhabds large, conspicuous, ~ 38 µm in length (ranging from 18 to 52 µm)..............................................  T. maricae n. sp.</p>
            <p> 2a. Thin sheets cement exclusively  Tenagodus shells into discrete clumps; microrhabds slender, usually curved, sharply hastate at ends, spines conspicuous, long, sharp..........................................................  T. deliqua n. sp.</p>
            <p> 2b. Thin sheets cement a variety of detritus, including quartz sand, foraminifera, algae and coral fragments; microrhabds robust, generally straight, rounded at ends, spines small, blunt, numerous....  T. xantha (Sutcliffe, Hooper &amp; Pitcher, 2010) n. comb.</p>
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	https://treatment.plazi.org/id/039A1C11FFA5FFADFF0CFDB1FA15332A	Public Domain	No known copyright restrictions apply. See Agosti, D., Egloff, W., 2009. Taxonomic information exchange and copyright: the Plazi approach. BMC Research Notes 2009, 2:53 for further explanation.		MagnoliaPress via Plazi	Hall, Kathryn A.;Ekins, Merrick G.;Hooper, John N. A.	Hall, Kathryn A., Ekins, Merrick G., Hooper, John N. A. (2014): Two new desma-less species of Theonella Gray, 1868 (Demospongiae: Astrophorida: Theonellidae), from the Great Barrier Reef, Australia, and a re-evaluation of one species assigned previously to Dercitus Gray, 1867. Zootaxa 3814 (4): 451-477, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3814.4.1
