WoRMS name details
Spirastrella decumbens var. robusta Kirkpatrick, 1900
170708 (urn:lsid:marinespecies.org:taxname:170708)
unaccepted (preoccupied)
Variety
marine, brackish, fresh, terrestrial
recent only
Kirkpatrick, R. (1900). On the Sponges of Christmas Island. <em>Proceedings of the Zoolological Society of London.</em> 1900: 127-141, pls XII-XIII. [details] 
Holotype BMNH 1898.12.20.21, geounit...
, Type locality contained in Christmas Island Exclusive Economic Zone
Holotype BMNH 1898.12.20.21, geounit Cocos-Keeling/Christmas Island [details]
type locality contained in Christmas Island Exclusive Economic Zone [details]
Homonymy The variety was described by Kirkpatrick from Flying Fish Cove, Christmas Island, approximate coordinates 10.4°S...
Homonymy The variety was described by Kirkpatrick from Flying Fish Cove, Christmas Island, approximate coordinates 10.4°S 105.67°E, shore collecting (wet holotype BMNH 1886.12.20.21). According to Kirkpatrick the variety differs from the typical variety, described and illustrated by Ridley (1884: 470, pl. XLIII fig. c, from Torres Strait, N Australia, 10.486°S 142.36°E, depth 13 m, holotype BMNH 1882.2.23.278, fide Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: 374) in minor details of spicule lengths and thickness. Curiously, he emphasized that Spirastrella semilunaris Lindgren, 1897 (from Java, approximate coordinates 6.5°S 108.53°E, depth not provided, syntype Uppsala Museum Spongiaria #2) was identical to his variety robusta citing spicule size data to support this, but he failed to acknowledge that S. semilunaris has priority over his new name robusta. Lindgren’s name is based on the presence of small single turn spirasters next to larger, thick, double turned spirasters, precisely as was described by Kirkpatrick, and drawn by Ridley & Dendy (1887: pl. XLV fig. 12, for their Spirastrella decumbens ‘var.’ from Challenger Exped. Stat. 208, Philippine Islands, 11.6167°N 123.3167°E, depth 33 m, wet specimen BMNH 1887.5.2.97). This is different from the type of the species. In addition to Kirkpatrick’s overlooking of the priority of the name robusta, the name combination of the present variety is also a junior primary homonym of Spirastrella cunctatrix var. robusta Carter (1886a: 114) (currently Spheciospongia robusta). I propose to merge the present variety with Lindgren’s species to be named Spirastrella semilunaris, and by this the homonymy is removed (ICZN art. 60.2). Reassignment of semilunaris to Spheciospongia appears inappropriate because of the microsclere complement with a dense layer of robust double turned spirasters at the surface and throughout the sponge body. [details]
de Voogd, N.J.; Alvarez, B.; Boury-Esnault, N.; Cárdenas, P.; Díaz, M.-C.; Dohrmann, M.; Downey, R.; Goodwin, C.; Hajdu, E.; Hooper, J.N.A.; Kelly, M.; Klautau, M.; Lim, S.C.; Manconi, R.; Morrow, C.; Pinheiro, U.; Pisera, A.B.; Ríos, P.; Rützler, K.; Schönberg, C.; Turner, T.; Vacelet, J.; van Soest, R.W.M.; Xavier, J. (2024). World Porifera Database. Spirastrella decumbens var. robusta Kirkpatrick, 1900. Accessed through: World Register of Marine Species at: https://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=170708 on 2024-04-19
Date
action
by
2005-07-10 18:05:41Z
created
db_admin
The webpage text is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
original description
Kirkpatrick, R. (1900). On the Sponges of Christmas Island. <em>Proceedings of the Zoolological Society of London.</em> 1900: 127-141, pls XII-XIII. [details]
basis of record Van Soest, R.W.M. (2024). Correcting sponge names: nomenclatural update of lower taxa level Porifera. <em>Zootaxa.</em> 5398(1): 1-122., available online at https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5398.1.1
page(s): 75 [details] Available for editors
[request]
basis of record Van Soest, R.W.M. (2024). Correcting sponge names: nomenclatural update of lower taxa level Porifera. <em>Zootaxa.</em> 5398(1): 1-122., available online at https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5398.1.1
page(s): 75 [details] Available for editors
[request] 
Present Present in aphia/obis/gbif/idigbio Inaccurate Introduced: alien Containing type locality
Holotype BMNH 1898.12.20.21, geounit Cocos-Keeling/Christmas Island [details]
From editor or global species database
Homonymy The variety was described by Kirkpatrick from Flying Fish Cove, Christmas Island, approximate coordinates 10.4°S 105.67°E, shore collecting (wet holotype BMNH 1886.12.20.21). According to Kirkpatrick the variety differs from the typical variety, described and illustrated by Ridley (1884: 470, pl. XLIII fig. c, from Torres Strait, N Australia, 10.486°S 142.36°E, depth 13 m, holotype BMNH 1882.2.23.278, fide Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: 374) in minor details of spicule lengths and thickness. Curiously, he emphasized that Spirastrella semilunaris Lindgren, 1897 (from Java, approximate coordinates 6.5°S 108.53°E, depth not provided, syntype Uppsala Museum Spongiaria #2) was identical to his variety robusta citing spicule size data to support this, but he failed to acknowledge that S. semilunaris has priority over his new name robusta. Lindgren’s name is based on the presence of small single turn spirasters next to larger, thick, double turned spirasters, precisely as was described by Kirkpatrick, and drawn by Ridley & Dendy (1887: pl. XLV fig. 12, for their Spirastrella decumbens ‘var.’ from Challenger Exped. Stat. 208, Philippine Islands, 11.6167°N 123.3167°E, depth 33 m, wet specimen BMNH 1887.5.2.97). This is different from the type of the species. In addition to Kirkpatrick’s overlooking of the priority of the name robusta, the name combination of the present variety is also a junior primary homonym of Spirastrella cunctatrix var. robusta Carter (1886a: 114) (currently Spheciospongia robusta). I propose to merge the present variety with Lindgren’s species to be named Spirastrella semilunaris, and by this the homonymy is removed (ICZN art. 60.2). Reassignment of semilunaris to Spheciospongia appears inappropriate because of the microsclere complement with a dense layer of robust double turned spirasters at the surface and throughout the sponge body. [details]
