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Styptosphaera spumacea
Haeckel, 1887
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Description - Add description
Styptosphaera spumacea (p. 87):
Spongy framework of the solid sphere loose, with large polygonal meshes of slightly different size, ten to twenty times as broad as the bars. Structure of the whole spongy sphere the same. Central capsule filled with crystals. Surface smooth.
Dimensions: Diameter of the sphere 0.32, of the central capsule 0.26, meshes 0.01 to 0.02 bars 0.001.
Habitat: North Pacific, Station 236, surface. | | Haeckel 1887 | Styptosphaera ? spumacea (p. 167):
Description: Shell spherical, composed entirely of loose, irregular spongy meshwork. Pores are subcircular and of varying size. No central cavity or radial spines. Surface rough, but without thorns.
Dimensions (based on 20 specimens): Diameter of shell 119 to 167 µ.
Discussion: S. spumacea was described, but not illustrated, by Haeckel (1887) from “Challenger” station 236 (34°58’N, 139°29’E), but no specimen of this general form could be found in topotypic material examined by the author. Haeckel’s unillustrated description appears to fit the form found in the North Pacific during this study. However, the shell diameter given by Haeckel is almost twice that of the North Pacific specimens which are, therefore, only tentatively assigned to S. spumacea. | | Nigrini 1970 |
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