Smenospongia mureungensis, Kim & Sim, 2020

Kim, Young A & Sim, Kyung Jin Lee and Chung Ja, 2020, Seven new species of two genera Scalarispongia and Smenospongia (Demospongiae: Dictyoceratida: Thorectidae) from Korea, Journal of Species Research 9 (2), pp. 147-161 : 154-157

7. Smenospongia mureungensis n. sp. ( Fig. 10 )

Ŗǭċḑƚḓậ (ljÿ)

Type specimen. Holotype (NIBRIV0000862774), Korea: Mureungarch, Mureung-ri, Daejeong-eup , Seogwipo-si , Jeju-do, 8 Jul 2019, collected by S. E. Moon, by SCUBA, depth 15-20 m, rocky substrate, deposited at NIBR.

Description. Thick massive cushion shape sponge, size up to 16 × 10 × 5 cm. Surface smooth with low sharp conules and shiny membrane. Small oscules, 1-2 mm in diameter, open throughout sponge. Color in life brown turns to grayish black. Texture soft and compressible.

Skeleton: Fibres of near surface, light yellow color, with easily detected cored spicules. Primary fibres, 100- 200 μm in diameter. Secondary fibres, 30-170 μm in diameter with almost no network. Secondary fibres usually bridge type between primary fibres, 1,000 -1,500 μm in length ( Fig. 10G, H ).

Etymology. The specific name, mureungensis , is named after locality, Mureungarch, Korea.

Remarks. This new species is similar to Smenospongia nigra Sim et al., 2016 partly in sponge shape but differs in fibres color and shape. The primary fibres of this new species have only cored spicules and unlike Sm. nigra surface is not honeycomb shape. Secondary fibres are very simple and regular.

Figures

Fig. 10. Smenospongia mureungensis n. sp. A, external morphology; B, surface close up; C, skeletal structure under the dissecting micro- scope; D, simple skeletal structure; E, closed primary and secondary fibres; F, G, secondary fibres web near conules; H, bridged secondary fibres. Scale bars: A=2 cm, B=0.2 cm, C=500 μm, D =200 μm, E-H=100μm.