Oscarella minka, Ruiz & Ereskovsky & Perez, 2022

Ruiz, Cesar, Ereskovsky, Alexander & Perez, Thierry, 2022, New Skeleton-Less Homoscleromorphs (Porifera, Homoscleromorpha) From The Caribbean Sea: Exceptions To Rules Are Definitely Common In Sponge Taxonomy, Zootaxa 5200 (2), pp. 128-148 : 139

Oscarella minka sp. nov.

Etymology: From the Quechuan mink’a (minga), this species name honors the pre-Columbian tradition of communal work for social purposes.

Diagnosis: Thin crust less than 3 mm thick. Smooth surface. Ectosome 25 to 50 µm thick, well-developed mesohyl. Two types of vacuolar cells, leuconoid aquiferous system with diplodal choanocyte chambers. High abundance of prokaryotic symbionts in the mesohyl.

Examined material: Holotype: Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle de Paris , France MNHN DJV206 La Martinique, “Grotte Fer à Cheval” (14°27.882’ N, 61°01.162 W), 19 m depth, on a vertical wall in the semi-dark part of the cave, date 25/03/2012, sample code: 120325 MT4 b-TP8, collector: T. Pérez. Genbank accession number: MK 949481

Paratype: Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle de Paris , France MNHN DJV207 Bequia , The Grenadines, “Full Moon Cave” (12°59.525’ N, 61°16.731’ W), 10-12 m depth, beneath an overhang, date 19/05/2015, sample code: 150519LG1-CR9, collector: C. Ruiz. Genbank accession number: MK 949480

Other material examined: Martinique, “Grotte Zeb” (14°27.832’N, 61°01.065’W), 19 m depth, on a vertical wall in the semi-dark part of the cave, date 13/06/2011, sample code: 110613 MT4 -TP4, collector: T. Pérez. GenBank accession number: MK 949478

Martinique, “Grotte Zeb” (14°27.832’N, 61°01.065’W), 19 m depth, on a vertical wall in the semi-dark part of the cave, date 15/05/2015, sample code: 150515 MT4 - CR2, collector: C. Ruiz. Genbank accession number: MK 949479

Martinique, “Grotte Zeb” (14°27.832’N, 61°01.065’W), 19 m depth, on a vertical wall in the semi-dark part of the cave, date 13/06/2011, sample code: 110613 MT4 -TP6, collector: T. Pérez .

Martinique, “Grotte Zeb” (14°27.832’N, 61°01.065’W), 19 m depth, on a vertical wall in the semi-dark part of the cave, date 16/05/2015, sample code: 150516 MT4 -CR11, collector: C. Ruiz.

Martinique, “Grotte Zeb” (14°27.832’N, 61°01.065’W), 19 m depth, on a vertical wall in the semi-dark part of the cave, date 16/05/2015, sample code: 150516 MT4 -CR16, collector: C. Ruiz.

Martinique, “Grotte Zeb” (14°27.832’N, 61°01.065’W), 19 m depth, on a vertical wall in the semi-dark part of the cave, date 16/05/2015, sample code: 150516 MT4 -CR17, collector: C. Ruiz.

Bequia , The Grenadines, “Full Moon Cave” (12°59.525’ N, 61°16.731’ W), 10-12 m depth, beneath an overhang, date 28/04/2015, sample code: 150428LG1-AE55, collector: A. Ereskovsky.

Bequia , The Grenadines, “Full Moon Cave” (12°59.525’ N, 61°16.731’ W), 10-12 m depth, beneath an overhang, date 19/05/2015, sample code: 150519LG1-TP5, collector: T. Pérez .

Guadeloupe, “Grotte Cathédrale” (16°27.740’ N, 61°31.837’ W), 18 m depth, on a vertical wall in the dark part of the cave, date 29/05/2015, sample code: 150529GU3-TP2, collector: T. Pérez .

Guadeloupe, “Grotte aux Barracudas” (16°27.301’ N, 61°32.253’ W), 19 m depth, beneath an overhang, date 30/05/2015, sample code: 150530GU5-CR4, collector: C. Ruiz.

Guadeloupe, “Grotte aux Barracudas” (16°27.301’ N, 61°32.253’ W), 19 m depth, beneath an overhang, date 30/05/2015, sample code: 150530GU5-CR10, collector: C. Ruiz.

Comparative material examined: Oscarella filipoi , Martinique, Anse d’Arlet , Grande Anse, Pointe Burgos - Grotte Couleur (14°2.787’N, 61°5.351’W), 10 m depth, on a vertical wall in semi-dark conditions, date 11/06/2011, sample code: 110611 MT3 -TP05, collector: T. Pérez .

Oscarella zoranja , “ Grotte Zeb” (14°27.832’N, 61°01.065’W), 19 m depth, on a vertical wall in the semi-dark part of the cave, date 13/06/2011, sample code: 110613 MT4 -TP1, collector: T. Pérez