• Thenea Gray, J.E. 1867. Notes on the arrangement of sponges, with the description of some new genera. Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London 1867: 492-558 pls 27-28 [541].

  Type species:

   Tethea muricata Bowerbank, 1864 by monotypy.

Distribution

States

New South Wales

Extra Distribution Information

Indian Ocean, Indo-Malayan region, Japan, E Pacific, amphi-Atlantic and Arctic.

IMCRA

Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38)

Distribution References

Diagnosis

Distinctive ovate or mushroom-shaped sponges, with radial or bilateral symmetry, with one to few oscula at upper portion of the body, and with at least part of the ostia grouped in a one or more inhalant areas located near the equator of the body, in a transversal recess. Because most species live in deep, soft bottoms, the sponges are provided with basal, root-like processes for anchoring to the sediment or buried substrata. The transversal recess, sometimes provided with a protruding palisade of spicules, is thought to prevent the inhalant areas from clogging by the fine silt that characterises deep-sea habitats (Fig. 3A–C). The skeleton consists of at least a type of monaxons (oxeas and/or oxeotylotes), one or more types of long-shafted tetraxons (dichotriaenes, anatriaenes, mesoanatrienes, protriaenes, mesoprotriaenes, and/or orthotriaenes), and one or more categories of streptasters (plesiasters, amphiasters, metasters, spirasters); true microxeas are always absent, although plesiasters reduced to two-ray, microxea-like forms may occur in some species.

ID Keys

See Family Pachastrellidae Diagnosis.

Diagnosis References

Maldonado, M. 2002. Family Pachastrellidae Carter, 1875. pp. 141-162 in Hooper, J.N.A. & van Soest, R.W.M. (eds). Systema Porifera: A guide to the classification of sponges. New York : Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers Vol. 1. [156]

History of changes

• Thenea grayi Sollas, W.J. 1886. Preliminary account of the tetractinellid sponges dredged by H.M.S. Challenger, 1872–1876. Part 1. The Choristida. Scientific Proceedings of the Royal Dublin Society ns 5: 177-199 [183].

  Type data:

   
  Syntype(s) BMNH 1889.1.1.26 wet (coords for Sydney Bay), 732 m, off Sydney, NSW [29°04'S 167°57'E]; BMNH 12 slides 1/14 (coords for Sydney Bay), 732 m, off Sydney, NSW [33°53'23"S 151°01'40"E].
• Thenea malindiae Lendenfeld, R. von 1907. Die Tetraxonia. pp. 59–374 pls 9–46 in Chun, C. (ed.) Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition auf dem Dampfer Valdivia 1898–1899. Vol. 11. [179].

  Type data:

   Holotype ZMB, southern Indian Ocean.
• Thenea microspina Lendenfeld, R. von 1907. Die Tetraxonia. pp. 59–374 pls 9–46 in Chun, C. (ed.) Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition auf dem Dampfer Valdivia 1898–1899. Vol. 11. [180].

  Type data:

   Holotype ZMB, southern Indian Ocean.
• Thenea nicobarensis Lendenfeld, R. von 1907. Die Tetraxonia. pp. 59–374 pls 9–46 in Chun, C. (ed.) Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition auf dem Dampfer Valdivia 1898–1899. Vol. 11. [181].

  Type data:

   Holotype ZMB, southern Indian Ocean.
• Thenea rotunda Lendenfeld, R. von 1907. Die Tetraxonia. pp. 59–374 pls 9–46 in Chun, C. (ed.) Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition auf dem Dampfer Valdivia 1898–1899. Vol. 11. [189].

  Type data:

   Holotype ZMB, southern Indian Ocean.
• Thenea multiformis Lendenfeld, R. von 1907. Die Tetraxonia. pp. 59–374 pls 9–46 in Chun, C. (ed.) Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition auf dem Dampfer Valdivia 1898–1899. Vol. 11. [217].

  Type data:

   Holotype ZMB, southern Indian Ocean.
• Thenea tyla Lendenfeld, R. von 1907. Die Tetraxonia. pp. 59–374 pls 9–46 in Chun, C. (ed.) Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition auf dem Dampfer Valdivia 1898–1899. Vol. 11. [219].

  Type data:

   Holotype ZMB, southern Indian Ocean.
• Thenea megaspina Lendenfeld, R. von 1907. Die Tetraxonia. pp. 59–374 pls 9–46 in Chun, C. (ed.) Wissenschaftliche Ergebnisse der Deutschen Tiefsee-Expedition auf dem Dampfer Valdivia 1898–1899. Vol. 11. [223].

  Type data:

   Holotype ZMB, southern Indian Ocean.
• Thenea grayi sulcata Wilson, H.V. 1925. Silicious and horny sponges collected by the U.S. Fisheries steamer Albatross during the Philippine Expedition, 1907–10. In Contributions to the biology of the Philippine Archipelago and adjacent regions. Bulletin of the United States National Museum 100(2/4): i-vii 273-532 pls 37-52 [280].

  Type data:

   Holotype USNM, Philippines [7°00'59"N 124°45'20"E].

Taxonomic Decision for Synonymy

• Burton, M. 1959. Sponges. Scientific Reports of the John Murray Expedition 10(5): 151-281 41 figs [188]

Distribution

States

New South Wales

Extra Distribution Information

SE coast, NSW; off Sydney, also Indian Ocean and Indo-Malayan region.

IMCRA

Southeast Shelf Transition (37), Central Eastern Shelf Province (38)

Ecological Descriptors

Filter-feeder, marine, sessile.

Extra Ecological Information

Depth 400–3548 m.

History of changes