Bicoelia corticifera, a new inozoid sponge from the Upper Triassic (Norian) reef boulders of the Central Taurids (southern Turkey)

Upper Triassic Norian reef boulders, exposed in a locality in the Central Taurids, southern Turkey, yielded a high number of hypercalcified sponges, including Sphinctozoans, Inozoans, Spongiomorphids, and Chaetetids. The reef boulders are exposed near the fountain Tavuk Cesme, located at the road leading from the town of Aksu to Yenisarbademli. Geologically this locality belongs to the Anamas Akseki Autochthon. In this paper a new inozoan sponge, Bicoelia corticifera nov. sp., is described from Tavuk Cesme. It is a cylindrical and unbranched sponge, found in several thin sections. The sponge is characterized by 2 axial spongocoels, and the sponge wall is composed of fine reticulate fiber skeleton and a distinct outer wall. Usually several specimens grow closely side by side.