TABLE 11 in Eleven new heteroscleromorph Demospongiae (Porifera), and a new record of the tetractinellid Ancorina corticata, from Walters Shoal, a shallow seamount on the Madagascar Ridge in the South West Indian Ocean (SWIO)

TABLE 11. Comparative external morphology, skeletal architecture, spiculation and location data for the species of Clathria (Clathria) Schmidt, 1862 from South Africa and WIO.
SpeciesExternal morphologyColourArchitectureStyleDermal stylesAcanthostylesChelaeToxasOccurrenceSpicule imageClathria (Clathria) flo Payne, Samaai & Gibbons sp. nov.Thickly encrusting, lobate formOrangeRegularly plumo-reticulateStyles, smooth, curved, with well-rounded to almost subtylote-like baseSubtylostyles, smooth, straight with a terminally spined elongated baseEntirely spinedMediumTerminally spined, in two size classesWalters Shoal seamountSee Figure 12Clathria (Clathria) conica Lévi, 1963Conical with digitate surface or erect, branchingOchreNo true spongin fibresSmooth, curved with very small basal spinesSpiny head and pointed or truncated distal end and thornyEntirely spinedSmall palmateShort and deep flexion and rough endsSouth AfricaClathria (Clathria) dayi Lévi, 1963Branched with thin peduncles at base (Bushy)YellowThin membrane; Poorly developed sponginSmooth and curvedSmoothStrongly spined —abundant at base and recurved on the distal endSmall palmateStrong central flexion and spiny endsSouth Africa