Crella schottlaenderi

(Arndt, 1913)

Species Overview

Crella schottlaenderi (Arndt, 1913) is a yellowish brown, smooth crust with porefielde on conical elevations and a prominent oscule on a large central papilla. It is a deep water species known only from the Norwegian fjords.

Taxonomic Description

Colour: Yellowish brown in alcohol, yellow-white in dry condition.
Shape, size, surface and consistency: Thinly encrusting with smooth surface. Size up to 15 mm in widest expansion, ca. 1 mm thick. The surface bears porefields on conical elevations and there is usually a large conical central papilla of 2 mm high with oscule. Consistency firm to hard.
Spicules: Megascleres : Smooth oxea-like tornotes, slightly curved: 190-310-390 x 10-20 µm; ectosomal acanthostyles most of which verge toward acanthoxeas by having the blunt end considerably narrower than the shaft, entirely spined, with thick thorny spines: 180-200-230 x 10 µm; choanosomal acanthostyles with prominently spined heads, entirely spined shaft: 160-220-260 x10 µm.
Microscleres : Arcuate isochelae, evenly curved, short teeth: 16-19-22 µm.
Skeleton: Ectosomal : a multilayered tangential crust of acanthostyles. Choanosomal : plumose bundles of oxeas, which also support the walls of the porefields and papilla. Acanthoxeas echinate the basal skeleton.
Ecology: Encrusting shells and worm tubes in deep water, 90-400 m.
Distribution: Norway.
Etymology: Named after Dr. Paul Schottländer of Breslau, Germany, for his stimulating scientific biological work; the type material was collected during the "First Lehr-Expedition" of the Dr P. Schottländer Jubilee Foundation, 1911.
Type specimen information: No data.

Remarks

This species is similar to C . fusifera but differs in colour and details of the spicule sizes.
Source: Arndt, 1913.