(Schmidt, 1862)

Species Overview

Leucandra aspera (Schmidt, 1862) is a white very hispid globular sponge with a central oscule and hard consistency. It is a rare species originally described from the Mediterranean but reported also from a few localities in Western Europe.

Taxonomic Description

Colour: White.
Shape, size, surface and consistency: Small, globular, spinous sponges (leucandra_aspera_draw.jpg), about 5 mm high, with an apical oscule. Consistency hard and fragile.
Spicules: (leucandra_aspera_spics.jpg) Calcareous. Triactines with rays of up to 200 µm.
Tetractines with rays of up to 380 µm, apical ray of up to 70 µm.
Huge ectosomal oxeas: up to 1200 x 50 µm.
Skeleton: Leuconoid organization.
Ecology: Low water mark and sublittoral, in crevices.
Distribution: SW Ireland; Mediterranean.
Etymology: asper (Latin) = rough, spiny, referring to the surface.
Type specimen information: Museum Graz, LMJG 15229; schizotypes: BMNH 1867:7:26:42 (dry), + BMNH 1867:3:11:76 (slide).

Remarks

The external morphology is apparently variable: specimens are reported to form clusters of tubes, and to both possess or lack apical fringe surrounding the oscule. Vosmaer (1884) and Burton (1963) gave a wide interpretation to this species. Their conclusions need to be evaluated.
Source: Van Soest and Weinberg (1980).

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Porifera
Class Calcarea
Subclass Calcaronea
Order Leucosolenida
Family Grantiidae
Genus Leucandra
Species Leucandra aspera

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Accepted name: Leucandra aspera (Schmidt, 1862)

Scientific synonyms and common names

Sycon asperum n. sp. Schmidt, 1862: 15, pl. I fig. 4; Burton, 1931: 167.
Sycinula aspera: Schmidt, 1868: 35 (footnote)
Leucandra aspera: Hanitsch, 1895: 206.
Leuconia aspera: Burton, 1963: 493, figs. 308-309; Van Soest and Weinberg, 1980: 3, fig. 3; Van Soest et al., 1981: 38.

Vosmaer (1884) and Burton (1963) gave a wide interpretation to this species. Their conclusions need to be evaluated.

Burton, M., 1931 [1932]. The Porifera of the Isle of Man. Lancashire Sea Fisheries Lab. Rept., 1931: 167-169.

Burton, M., 1963. A revision of the classification of the calcareous sponges. British Museum (Natural History), London. 693 pp.

Hanitsch, R., 1895. Notes on a collection of sponges from the west coast of Portugal. Trans. Liverpool Biol. Soc., 9: 205-219.

Schmidt, O., 1862. Die Spongien des Adriatischen Meeres. Engelmann, Leipzig: 1-88, 7 pls.

Schmidt, O., 1868. Die Spongien der Küste von Algier. Mit Nachträgen zu den Spongien des Adriatischen Meeres (drittes Supplement). Engelmann, Leipzig, iv + 44 pp., V pls.

Soest, R.W.M. van, and S. Weinberg, 1980. A note on the sponges and octocorals from Sherkin Island and Lough Ine, Co. Cork. Irish Nat. J., 20: 1-15.

Soest, R.W.M. van, J.D. Guiterman and M. Sayer, 1981. Sponges from Roaringwater Bay and Lough Ine. J. Sherkin Isl., 1 (2): 35-49.

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