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Axinyssa ambrosia (De Laubenfels, 1936) Figures 113 a–b Rhaphisia ambrosia De Laubenfels, 1936: 135. Axinyssa ambrosia; Díaz et al. 1993: 289, figs 5, 10; Zea et al. 2013: 495, figs 1, 3A–C. Material examined. RMNH Por. 9331, Guyana, ‘Luymes’ Guyana Shelf Expedition, station 65, 7.55°N 57.0833°W, depth 63 m, sandy bottom, 31 August 1970; RMNH Por. 9999, Suriname, ‘ Snellius O.C.P.S. ’ Guyana Shelf Expedition, station F45, 6.4417°N 56.5467°W, depth 34 m, Van Veen grab, 7 May 1966. Description. Three lobate-digitate fragments (Fig. 113 a), presumably the upper parts of sponges partially buried in the sand, and two parallel developed, elongate cylindrical specimens (Fig. 113 a1). Size of digitate fragments 5–8 cm high, 2–4 cm in diameter, of cylindrical specimens 20 cm long, 2.5 cm in diameter. Color (alcohol) pale orange-beige. Surface irregular, but optically smooth, somewhat ridged and grooved. No apparent oscules. Consistency firm to hard. Skeleton. No ectosomal specialization. The choanosomal skeleton is confused but shows arrangement of the spicules in tracts directed towards the surface. Spicules. Oxeas only. Oxeas (Figs 113 b,b1) fusiform, sharply pointed, lightly curved, in a large size range, but not divisible in size categories, 618– 784 –954 x 16 – 25.2 –34 µm. Distribution and ecology. Guyana Shelf, Florida, Curaçao, Jamaica, Colombia, reefs and sand, at 18–85 m depth (Gyana Shelf 34–65 m). Remarks. The present specimens conform to the description of Axinyssa ambrosia as given by Díaz et al. (1993), who also assigned Dictyonella yumae Pulitzer-Finali, 1986 as a junior synonym. Subsequently, Zea et al. 2013 revised both species and concluded that there are small differences between the two and that they are distinct species. In their analysis they restricted the spicule sizes of Axinyssa ambrosia to 490–941 x 4.8–23.8 µm. The Guyana shelf material has slight larger and thicker oxeas (up to 954 x 34 µm), but these fall short of the sizes quoted by Zea et al. 2013 for Axinyssa yumae (up to 1121 x 37.4 µm). Although there are a few fusiform styles among the spicules of the present specimens, they are infrequent. In conclusion, the identity of the Guyana material is most likely to be A. ambrosia and not A. yumae., Published as part of Van, Rob W. M., 2017, Sponges of the Guyana Shelf, pp. 1-225 in Zootaxa 1 on page 181, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.272951, {"references":["De Laubenfels, M. W. (1936) A discussion of the sponge fauna of the Dry Tortugas, in particular, and the West Indies in general, with material for a revision of the families and orders of the Porifera. Carnegie Institution of Washington Publication, 467 (Tortugas Laboratory Paper, 30, 1 - 225.","Diaz, M. C., Pomponi, S. A. & Van Soest, R. W. M. (1993) A systematic revision of the central West Atlantic Halichondrida (Demospongiae, Porifera). Part III: Description of valid species. In: Uriz, M. - J. & Rutzler, K. (Eds.), Recent Advances in Ecology and Systematics of Sponges. Scientia Marina, 57 (4), 283 - 306.","Zea, S., Valderrama, D. & Martinez, A. M. (2013) Axinyssa ambrosia and Axinyssa yumae (Porifera, Halichondrida): two valid sponge species from the Caribbean Sea. Zootaxa, 3682 (3), 495 - 500. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3682.3.10","Pulitzer-Finali, G. (1986) A collection of West Indian Demospongiae (Porifera). In appendix, a list of the Demospongiae hitherto recorded from the West Indies. Annali del Museo civico di storia naturale Giacomo Doria, 86, 65 - 216."]}

The synthetic studies towards axinyssamine, a cytotoxic and coral-lethal compound isolated from the Caribbean sponge Axinyssa ambrosia were performed. The Ritter reaction on the key intermediate with chloroacetonitrile, resulted in the introduction of the amino group at C-4 generating the configuration of this stereocentre opposite to that of the natural product. As a result, the first total synthesis of the unnatural (–)-4-epiaxinyssamine was achieved.

Axinyssa ambrosia (de Laubenfels, 1936) Figs. 1, 3 A���C Rhaphisia ambrosia de Laubenfels, 1936: 135. Axinyssa ambrosia; van Soest et al., 1990: 27, fig. 21 (in part, holotype and material from Cura��ao); Diaz et al., 1991: 146 (in part, holotype and material from Cura��ao); Diaz et al., 1993: 289, fig. 10 (in part, holotype and ZMA Por. 6895 from Cura��ao); Zea, 1993: 87 (ecology); Lehnert and van Soest, 1999: 149; R��tzler et al., 2009: 302. ? Axinyssa sp; Moraes, 2011: 159. [Non: Dictyonella yumae Pulitzer-Finali, 1986 (a valid species of Axinyssa; synonymy suggested by van Soest et al. 1990: 27 and Diaz et al. 1993: 289)]. [Non: Leucophloeus lewisi van Soest and Stentoft, 1988 (= Axinyssa yumae Pulitzer-Finali, 1986; synonymy suggested by van Soest et al. 1990: 27 and Diaz et al. 1993: 289)]. Material examined. Holotype USNM 22452, SE of Loggerhead Key, Dry Tortugas, Florida, USA, 70 m, dredged, 26 June 1932 (spicule and skeleton slides). ZMA Por. 6895 (fragment INV���POR 0519), in front of Carmabi, Cura��ao, 18��� 20 m, coll. excursion Cura��ao 1975, id. R.W.M. van Soest. Material from Santa Marta, Colombia, coll. by S. Zea: INV��� POR 0522 (11 Febr. 1997), ICN ���MHN(Po) 0173 (20 Sept. 1997), INV���POR 0523 (31 March 1999), Punta de Bet��n, Bah��a de Santa Marta, reef-sand slope edge, 20���25 m; INV���POR 0520 (10���12 Febr. 1988), El Morro, Bah��a de Santa Marta, reef base, 35 m; INV���POR 0521 (2 April 1982), Bah��a de Nenguange, reef edge, 20 m. Description. Irregular masses, 2���3 cm thick, up to 10���15 cm wide or more, with lobate to digitiform, sometimes stalked, cylindrical projections, up to 1���2 cm in height-width; sometimes as repent to partly projecting branches, ca. 10 cm long, 1���3 cm wide. Surface organic, rugose, with microconulose to microhispid areas; some areas honeycombed; loosely to strongly fouled. Oscules scarce, scattered, up to 3 mm in diameter. Consistency compressible but not resilient, slightly difficult to tear, spiculose; dried specimens are hard. Tissue color bright yellow to orange-yellow, with vinaceous shades on the exterior; specimens fixed directly in ethanol turn black, yielding a dark brown ink; other fixed specimens creamy; dried specimens creamy. Ectosome organic; pinacoderm supported by projecting spicules or spicule tracts. Choanosome non-cavernous; skeleton as a confused arrangement of spicules in between ascending, radiating and anastomosing spicule tracts, 2���10 spicules across, 30���50 ��m wide. Spicules slightly curved oxeas, with symmetrical, rather long, hastate, mucronate and stepped ends; axial canal often visible; a few fusiform oxea as developmental stages; a few strongyloxeas and anysostrongyles; length 490���941 ��m (specimen means 653���803 ��m); width 4.8���23.8 ��m (means 10.9 ���17.0 ��m). Distribution and ecology. Florida (Dry Tortugas: de Laubenfels 1936, R��tzler et al. 2009), Jamaica (Lehnert & van Soest 1999), Cura��ao (van Soest et al. 1990), Colombia (Santa Marta). At Santa Marta, occasional in deep reef areas, usually growing on dead sides or on undersides of corals, 18���35 m in depth. Material from Cura��ao collected in reefs at 18���20 m in depth. Holotype dredged at 70 m in depth, encrusting a rock. Jamaican material found in the deep fore-reef, 85 m in depth. Remarks. Axinyssa ambrosia is distinguished from A. yumae by its irregular shape and smaller oscules in the former, vs. clusters of volcano-shaped lobes to tubes in the latter. Spicules are predominantly oxeas in A. ambrosia and always anysostrongyloxeas (fusifom styles) in A. yumae. The Jamaican material described by Lehnert and van Soest (1999) can be ascribed to A. ambrosia by its slightly larger (720���1160 ��m x 6���16 ��m) oxea with telescoped ends. The material from the Bahamas described by Diaz et al. (1993) was not studied here and may deserve further analysis. Axinyssa sp. described by Moraes (2011) from the Archipelago of S��o Pedro e S��o Paulo, off Brazil, may belong to this species. This species yielded nitrogenous eudesmane-type compounds with strong cytotoxic activity (Petrichtcheva et al., 2002)., Published as part of Zea, Sven, Valderrama, Diego & Mart��nez, Ana Mar��a, 2013, Axinyssa ambrosia and Axinyssa yumae (Porifera, Halichondrida): two valid sponge species from the Caribbean Sea, pp. 495-500 in Zootaxa 3682 (3) on pages 495-497, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3682.3.10, http://zenodo.org/record/218926, {"references":["Laubenfels, M. W. de (1936) A discussion of the sponge fauna of Dry Tortugas in particular, and the West Indies in general, with material for a revision of the families and orders of the Porifera. Carnegie Institute of Washington (Tortugas Laboratory Paper N ° 467), 30, 1 - 125 pp.","Soest, R. W. M. van, Diaz, M. C. & Pomponi, S. A. (1990) Phylogenetic classification of the Halichondrids (Porifaera, Demospongiae). Beaufortia, 40 (2), 15 - 62.","Diaz, M. C., Soest, R. W. M. van & Pomponi, S. A. (1991) A systematic revision of the Central-Atlantic Halichondrida (Demospongiae, Porifera). Part. I: Evaluation of characters and diagnosis of genera. In: Reitner, J. & Keupp, H. (Eds.), Fossil and recent sponges. Springer Verlag, Berlin, pp. 134 - 149. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.1007 / 978 - 3 - 642 - 75656 - 6 _ 11","Diaz, M. C., Pomponi, S. A. & Soest, R. W. M. van (1993) A systematic revision of the central West Atlantic Halichondrida (Demospongiae, Porifera). Part III: description of valid species. Scientia Marina, 57 (4), 283 - 306.","Zea, S. (1993) Cover of sponges and other sessile organisms in rocky and coral reef habitats of Santa Marta, Colombian Caribbean Sea. Caribbean Journal of Science, 29 (1 - 2), 75 - 88.","Lehnert, H. & Soest, R. W. M. van (1999) More North Jamaican deep fore-reef sponges. Beaufortia, 49, 141 - 169.","Rutzler, K., Soest, R. W. M. van & Piantoni, C. (2009) Sponges (Porifera) of the Gulf of Mexico. In: Felder, D. L. & Camp, D. K. (Eds.), Gulf of Mexico origin, waters and biota, Vol. 1, Biodiversity. Texas A & M University Press, College Station, pp. 285 - 313.","Moraes, F. C. de (2011) Esponjas das ilhas oceanicas Brasileiras. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, Serie Livros 44, 252 pp.","Pulitzer-Finali, G. (1986) A collection of West Indian Demospongiae (Porifera). In Appendix, a list of the Demospongiae hitherto recorded from the West Indies. Annali del Museo civico di storia naturale Giacomo Doria, 86, 65 - 216.","Soest, R. W. M. van & Stentoft, N. (1988) Barbados deep-water sponges. Studies on the Fauna of Curacao andother Caribbean Islands, 70 (215), 1 - 175.","Petrichtcheva, N. V., Duque, C., Duenas, A., Zea, S., Hara, N. & Fujimoto, Y. (2002) New cytotoxic nitrogeneous eudesmane-type compounds isolated from the Caribbean sponge Axinyssa ambrosia. Journal of Natural Products, 65, 851 - 855. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.1021 / np 0104471"]}

Direct field observations often reveal distinct morphotypes within sponge species that had been described on the basis of preserved material from different locations. The genus Axinyssa von Lendefeld, 1897 was revised for the Caribbean by Diaz et al . (1993), defining a single species, Axinyssa ambrosia (de Laubenfels, 1936), with several junior synonyms, some of which varied in the predominant spicule complement. At Santa Marta, Colombia, we found two morphotypes of Axinyssa living sympatrically, with consistent differences in morphology and spiculation. Revision of types and part of Diaz et al . (1993) material confirmed these differences, leading to the distinction of two species whose valid names are Axinyssa ambrosia and Axinyssa yumae (Pulitzer-Finali, 1986). The purpose of this note is to redescribe these two species.