Leucetta solida

Leucetta solida (Schmidt, 1862) (Figure 7) Grantia solida Schmidt, 1862: 18, Taf I., 7. Leuconia solida, Rützler 1965: 8. Material examined: ESFM-POR/2017-477, S17(a), 0–2 m, on Posidonia oceanica, 3 specimens, ESFM-POR/2017- 728, S26, 25 m, on cave wall, 3 specimens, ESFM-POR/2017-632, S29, 15 m, on cave wall, 4 specimens, ESFM-POR/2017-165, S33, 0.5 m, on P. oceanica, 2 specimens. Description: It is an oval sponge that is slightly flattened on the sides. The surface is hispid. It has a creamy colour in alcohol (Figure 7a). It has a rather fragile consistency, easily torn into apart. The skeleton is composed of irregularly intertwined triactines (900–2400 × 40–200 µm) (Figure 7b 1) and tetractins (800–600 × 40–80 µm, Figure 7b 2). Skeletons do not contain diaxones. Habitat and distribution: This species was previously found on rocks at 2–40 m (Longo & Pronzato 2011; de Voogd et al. 2024) in the Tyrrhenian (Rützler 1966), Adriatic (Schmidt 1864, Rützler 1965), Ionian (Corriero 1989) and Aegean (Pansini et al. 2000) Seas. It is endemic to the Mediterranean Sea (de Voogd et al. 2024). It is a new record for the Turkish marine fauna.