DELECTONA-MADREPORICA N. SP. (PORIFERA, DEMOSPONGIAE) BORING THE CORALLITES OF SOME SCLERACTINIANS FROM THE LIGURIAN SEA

A new species of sponge, belonging to the genus Delectona, has been ob served in the corallites of Leptopsammia pruvoti and Madracis pharensi s living in semidark caves on the Portofino Promontory (Ligurian Sea). The species, here described as Delectona madreporica, has a spicular complement composed of rhabds, which are very irregular in shape and s ize and derived from fusiform amphiasters, by oxyasters derived from s lender amphiasters and by toxiform, sometimes centrotylote, microxeas. The taxonomic position of this species is discussed.