Damiria paraibana, Santos, George Garcia & Pinheiro, Ulisses, 2013

Santos, George Garcia & Pinheiro, Ulisses, 2013, First record of Damiria Keller, 1891 from Brazil, with the description of a new species (Poecilosclerida; Demospongiae; Porifera), Zootaxa 3700 (4), pp. 597-600 : 597-599

Damiria paraibana sp. nov.

Holotype. UFPEPOR 1531, off Ponta do Seixas (07º09'16" S, 34º47'35" W), João Pessoa, Paraíba State, Brazil, col. Equipe LIPY (Laboratório de Invertebrados Paulo Young), (23.III.2008). Paratype. UFPBPOR 179 (collected together with the holotype).

Description. Encrusting, with seven thin fistules (1.5 cm on average) that are rising perpendicular to the base (3 cm in diameters), or project sideways ( Fig. 1 A–B). Bifid terminations were observed; consistency fragile; surface can be smooth in the fistules and there are grains of sand adhered in the base. Oscules (2– 4 mm) were found in the tips of fistules ( Fig. 1 B). The colour is violet (in vivo) and beige (yellowish) in ethanol (80%). The ectosomal skeleton is a tangential layer of inter-crossing tylotes in no particular order ( Fig. 1 C), which extend from the base to the fistules. The choanosomal skeleton has a few tracts and loose spicules (tylotes II) and is restricted to the base of the sponges. Toxas are scattered.

Spicule ( Table 1). Tylotes I—Longer, slender, usually slighty curved, completely smooth with microspined ends ( Fig. 1 D). In the tips, the spines are arranged in vertical lines ( Fig. 1 F). These tylotes are thinner and longer than choanosomal tylotes. Length 237–291 µm and width 4.2–6.3 µm. Tylotes II—Shorter than the previous, robust, slightly curved, some may be sinuous, smooth body, and with microspined ends ( Fig. 1 E). The spines are diffusely distributed at the tips ( Fig. 1 G). Length 186–222 µm and width 9–12 µm. Toxas—Smooth, thin, most are deeply curved like a boomerang shape ( Fig. 1 H; Fig. 2 A). Length 76–115 µm and width 3.6–6 µm.

Distribution and ecology. Known only from the type locality (Off Ponta do Seixas, Paraíba State, Brazil), from unknown depth. Both specimens (holotype and paratype) are epibionts in the same ascidian, which is covered by sediment.

Etymology. The species name refers to its type locality, Paraiba State, and is an allusion to women born there, known as paraibana .

Remarks: Damiria paraibana sp. nov. differs from almost all species of the genus by the presence of toxas as microscleres ( Tab. 1), except for D. toxifera which approaches the new species in this respect. Nevertheless, the shape and size of toxas are different in both species. In Damiria paraibana sp. nov. the toxas are deeply curved with a boomerang-like form, and are larger and thicker than shallow curved toxas of D. toxifera ( Tab. 1; Fig. 2 ). The colour in vivo is violet as opposed to orange and yellow records of D. toxifera . The skeleton morphology of D. toxifera presents triangular and rectangular meshes in the ectosome (Immanuel & Raghunathan 2011) as opposed to the inter-crossing tylotes in Damiria paraibana sp. nov. Finally given the unlikelyness of conspecificity over such a large geographic distance ( Seychelles Island versus Brazil), which was also seen by Fernandez et al. (2012) in two sister-species Acanthotetilla seychellensis (Thomas, 1973) and A. rocasensis Peixinho et al., 2007 , we are confident in recognizing Damiria paraibana sp. nov. status as a new species.

Species Locality / deep (m) Shape / colour Fistules (cm) Tylotes Toxas Damiria paraibana sp. Paraíba State, Encrusting-fistular / 1.5 I—237– 261.3 –291 / 76– 98.8 –115 / nov. (UFPEPOR Brazil / Intertidal Violet (in vivo) 4– 5.5 –6 3– 4.7 –6 1531- holotype) II—186– 206.7 –222 /

9– 10.3 –12

Damiria paraibana sp. Paraíba State, Encrusting-fistular / 1.5 I—234– 259.7 –291 / 76– 95.5 –112 / nov. (UFPBPOR 179- Brazil / Intertidal Violet (in vivo) 4– 5.5 –6 3– 4.6 –6 paratype) II—186– 208.0 –219 /

9– 10.2 –12

D. curvata (Vacelet, Mediterranean Sea Encrusting / Gray 2 (fistules I—360–520 / 7.5–12.5 - 1969) (1) / 180 cream lying) (acanthotylostrongyles)

II—110–190 / 5–7.5

(acanthotylostrongyles) D. fistulata (Carter, South India / not Irregular globular / not recorded 584 / 7 (as linear spicule) - 1880) (2) recorded Pinkish brown (in vivo)

References: (1) Vacelet (1969); (2) Carter (1880); (3) van Soest et al. (1994); (4) Keller (1891); (5) Hooper (2002); (6) Topsent (1928); (7) Immanuel & Raghunathan (2011).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Damiria paraibana sp. nov. (UFPEPOR 1531, holotype). A, preserved specimen; B, details of the fistules; C, tangential ectosomal architecture; D, tylote I; E, tylote II; F, detail of the head of D; G, detail of the head of E; H, toxa. Scale bars: A = 8 mm; B = 3 mm; C = 200 µm; D, E = 30 µm; F = 3 µm; G = 5 µm; H = 20 µm.

FIGURE 2. Toxas of Damiria paraibana sp. nov. (UFPEPOR 1531, holotype) and D. toxifera. A, Damiria paraibana sp. nov.; B, Reproduction of van Soest et al. (1994: 178) original plate illustrating D. toxifera. Scale bars: A = 10 µm.