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Desmospyris spongiosa Hays, 1965

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Shell heavy, spongy, divided into two segments by indistinct collar stricture. Cephalis bilocular with indistinct sagittal stricture, wall thick, pores circular, irregular in size and arrangement, one to two times width at bars. Sagittal ring D-shaped, joined at base to walls of cephalis by four beams, forming four large basal pores. Thorax subcylindrical, transverse section oval, basally truncate, slightly constricted at mouth, wall often spongy and thinner than wall of cephalis. Basal feet usually not present, but some specimens show several poorly developed feet. Diensions variable except height of sagittal ring wich, on the 50 specimens measured, varied only between 75 and 85. Length of shell 100-170, breadth 105-150, depth 70-125. Description based on 50 specimens from cores V-16-116, 720 and 750 cm; V-16-130, 400 and 450 cm; V-16-5, 860 and 900 cm. The internal skeleton of this species is identical with that of Triceraspyris antarctica (Haeckel) illustrated by Riedel [1958, p. 230, text fig. 3] exept that Desmospyris spongiosa lacks the three basal feet. It may be related to Gorgospyris (Thamnospyris) (?) perplexus, Campbell and Clark [1944, p. 37, pl. 5, fig. 18], but their description based on one specimen is insufficient to determine this relationship. D spomgiosa is distinguished from other members of this genus by the spongy shell and the absence of well-developed termial feet.
Hays 1965


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