Timea stellifasciata

Sarà and Siribelli, 1960

Species Overview

Timea stellifasciata Sarà and Siribelli, 1960 is a thin brownish encrustation with slightly hispid surface and firm consistency. It differs from other Timea species in the irregular morphology of the asters (microscopic examination). It is a Mediterranean species recorded once from Roscoff.

Taxonomic Description

Colour: Brownish or yellow-brown.
Shape, size, surface and consistency: Thin encrustation with slightly hispid surface and firm consistency. No further data.
Spicules: (Timea stellifasciata spics) Megascleres : Tylostyles, with variously shaped heads: 125-950 x 3-9 µm (Mediterranean specimens: up to 595 µm). Microscleres : Asters of extremely varied shape, but symmetrical equal-rayed asters absent, rays irregular, truncated or bifid, warty and strongly spined: 7-21 µm.
Skeleton: Tylostyles erect on the substrate; asters distributed throughout the sponge.
Ecology: Under stones, on other sponges, on pebbles, in deeper water (Roscoff: 55 m)
Distribution: Roscoff, Naples.
Etymology: The name refers to the concentrated occurrence of the asters.
Type specimen information: The holotype is stated to be in Stazione Zoologica di Napoli.

Remarks

In spiculation this species is close to Timea fasciata , but that species is golden yellow, and the asters are less irregular.
Source: Sarà and Siribelli, 1960.