Latrunculia du Bocage, 1869

Kelly, Michelle, Sim-Smith, Carina, Stone, Robert, Reiswig, Toufiek Samaai Henry & Austin, William, 2016, New taxa and arrangements within the family Latrunculiidae (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida), Zootaxa 4121 (1), pp. 1-48 : 5

Genus Latrunculia du Bocage, 1869

Type species. Latrunculia cratera du Bocage, 1869: 161 , by monotypy (lost).

Representative species. Latrunculia bocagei Ridley & Dendy, 1887: 238 ; Pl. XLIV, Fig. 1 ; Pl. XLV, Fig. 8, 8 A (after Samaai & Kelly 2002; Samaai et al. 2006).

Diagnosis. Encrusting or cushion sponges with trumpet-shaped or cylindrical oscules and convex or concave areolate pore fields, colour in life typically blackish green, khaki to olive green. Choanosomal architecture consists of megascleres arranged in an irregular broad-meshed reticulation of wispy tracts that lack spongin reinforcement. Megascleres are frequently slightly irregular and wavy anisostyles, occasionally with acanthose heads. Ectosomal skeleton composed of an oblique to tangential layer of megascleres, above which, is a palisade of anisodiscorhabd microscleres with their basal portions buried in the outer ectosome. Anisodiscorhabds typically have six substructures that may merge or fuse to varying degrees. The manubrium is the most basal part of the microsclere, above which, lies a basal whorl. The top of the microsclere consists of the apical whorl and an apex. Between the basal and apical whorls lie the median and subsidiary whorls, which are typically unequal in diameter (the median whorl is usually the larger), and located on the upper half of the spicule shaft. The morphology of the whorls is diverse: smooth or acanthose spines, often with curved rows of tiny teeth; smooth or acanthose flared leaf-like structures with denticulate margins forming a continuous, partially, or fully incised frill around the shaft, or undulating petal-like whorls with curved, occasionally incised denticulate margins (modified from Samaai et al. 2012).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Comparison of microsclere morphology in family Latrunculiidae (not to scale): A. Anisodiscorhabd form in subgenus Latrunculia (Latrunculia) du Bocage, 1869 (type species L. (L.) bocagei Ridley & Dendy, 1886), showing the six substructures that characterise the anisodiscorhabds, whether differentiated or undifferentiated: m = manubrium, bw = basal whorl, mw = median whorl, sw = subsidiary whorl, aw = apical whorl, a = apex; B. Anisodiscorhabd form in subgenus Latrunculia (Biannulata) Samaai, Gibbons & Kelly, 2006 (type species L. (B.) kaakaariki Alvarez et al., 2002); C. Anisodiscorhabd form in subgenus Latrunculia (Uniannulata) subgen. nov. (type species L. (U.) oparinae Samaai & Krasokhin, 2002); D. Isospinodiscorhabd in genus Cyclacanthia Samaai, Govender & Kelly, 2004 (type species C. bellae (Samaai, Gibbons, Kelly & Davies-Coleman, 2003); E. Isochiadiscorhabd in genus Tsitsikamma Samaai & Kelly, 2002 (type species T. favus Samaai & Kelly, 2002); F. Anisodiscorhabd and amphiclad sceptre in genus Sceptrella Schmidt, 1870 (type species Sceptrella regalis Schmidt, 1870); G. Short anisodiscorhabd and long anisoconicorhabd in genus Latrunclava gen. nov. (type species L. imago gen. et sp. nov.); H. Anisodiscorhabd in genus Bomba gen. nov. (type species B. endeavourensis gen. et sp. nov.). Fig. 1 A, B, D modified and reproduced from Samaai et al. (2006), Samaai et al. (2004) and Samaai et al. (2003), respectively, with permission from Zootaxa (Magnolia Press). Fig. 1 E, F modified with permission from T. Samaai.

FIGURE 8. Morphology, megascleres and microscleres of Latrunculia (Uniannulata) oparinae Samaai & Krasokhin, 2002 subgen. nov. comb. nov.: A. RBCM 015 - 00489 - 001, central Aleutian Islands, in situ; B. Specimen on left (green) in situ with L (L.) hamanni sp. nov. (right, brown specimen), Kanaga Island, central Aleutian Islands, 150 m, in situ; C. NHMUK 2011.2. 11.1, specimen on deck; D. RBCM 015 - 00487 - 001, scale = 1 cm; E. NHMUK 2006.8. 24.3, specimen on deck; F. Histological section showing palisade of anisodiscorhabds in outermost ectosome, a paratangential layer of megascleres below palisade, and cavernous choanosome below, scale = 200 µm; G. Acanthose head of anisostyle with retrovert and conical spines on apex (from RBCM 015 - 00490 - 003), scale = 20 µm; H. Typical anisodiscorhabd (from RBCM 015 - 00490 - 003), scale = 20 µm; I. Typical anisodiscorhabd (from NHMUK 2008.3.27.1), scale = 20 µm; J. Typical anisodiscorhabd (from NHMUK 2006.8.24.3), scale = 20 µm; K. Anisodiscorhabd manubrium and basal whorl (left) and apical whorl and apex (right) (from RBCM 015 - 00490 - 003), scale = 20 µm; L. Base of anisodiscorhabd showing manubrium and basal whorl (from NHMUK 2006.8.24.3), scale = 20 µm; M. Protorhabd (from RBCM 015 - 00490 - 003), scale = 20 µm; N. Immature anisodiscorhabds (from NHMUK 2006.8.24.3), scale = 20 µm.