Reniera Schmidt 1862

Jackson, Celia P. J., De, Wallie H., Weerdt & Webber, Mona K., 2006, Haliclona (Reniera) portroyalensis n. sp., a new chalinid sponge (Porifera, Demospongiae, Haplosclerida) from the southeast coast of Jamaica, Zootaxa 1319, pp. 59-68 : 62-67

Subgenus Reniera Schmidt 1862

Definition. Chalinidae with a choanosomal skeleton consisting of a delicate, regular, unispicular, isotropic reticulation. Ectosomal skeleton, if present, also a tangential, unispicular, isotropic, very regular and continuous reticulation. Spongin always present at the nodes of the spicules, but never abundant. Microscleres, if present, toxas and sigmas. Sponges commonly soft and fragile.

Type species. Reniera aquaeductus Schmidt 1962 .

Remarks. For synonymy and discussion of the subgenus Reniera see De Weerdt (2002).

Haliclona (Reniera) portroyalensis n. sp. ( Figs. 1–5 )

Holotype: ZMA Por. 19096 (fragment deposited as PRML Por. 3905. JAMAICA: Port Royal: Fort Rocky lagoon, Kingston Harbour complex, 17°56’N 76°50’W, from prop root of red mangrove, Rhizophora mangle , 1.25 m, coll. C. Jackson 1 July, 1999 (# 39).

Description of the holotype (now fragmented). Shape and size ( Fig. 1 ): digitate, with a few slightly swollen areas, to 6 cm high and 1 cm thick. Oscula scattered, some laterally flush with the surface, measuring 2–3 mm, and one up to 6 mm at the bulbous basis. Surface smooth and even, microhispid. Consistency. Soft, easily torn, but somewhat resilient. Colour. Purple alive, beige in alcohol.

Ectosomal skeleton ( Fig. 2 ). Dermis not easily removed, pierced by pores of 55.5–88.8 µm in diameter. Pores irregularly distributed. Spongin particularly evident at the nodes, some spicules wholly enclosed in spongin.

Choanosomal skeleton ( Fig. 3 ). A unispicular reticulation, but less uniform than that of the ectosome. There are also some multispicular tracts of varying length. Numerous toxas are dispersed throughout the structure of the sponge. A few collagen fibres up to 37 µm wide with no interconnections are irregularly placed within the matrix of the sponge. Spicula ( Fig. 4 ): megascleres: oxeas, straight to slightly curved, with short, conical points, measuring [max­ mean (standard deviation)­max] 153–177 (15.4)–209.7 x 6–7 (0.9)–8.7 µm. Microscleres: toxas, numerous in the ectosome and choanosome, very variable in length and curvature, 3.6 x ca. 0.3 µm to 112.5 x ca. 1.5 µm.

Numerous gemmule­like bodies ( Fig. 5 ) measuring an average of 55.5 µm, with thin spicules arranged in a confused manner were present in the holotype.

Habitat and distribution. Prop roots of the red mangrove, Rhizophora mangle . Known only from the type locality, Port Royal, Jamaica.

Etymology. Named after its type locality, Port Royal.

RemarkS. Although none of the characters is unique, the combination of the unispicular, isotropic skeleton typical of the subgenus Reniera , digitate shape, conical pointed oxeas and toxas of variable length distinguishes Haliclona (Reniera) portroyalensis n. sp. from other members of the genus and subgenus occurring in the Caribbean. Although only a few specimens of our new species were found at mangrove roots in Port Royal, it seems premature to conclude that the species is endemic to Jamaica. Systematic studies of similar habitats in other Caribbean localities are necessary to reveal its occurrence outside Jamaica and its distribution throughout and outside the Caribbean.

The new species cannot be confused with digitate forms of Chalinula molitba ( De Laubenfels, 1949) (cf. De Weerdt 2000, fig. 2E), a wide­spread Caribbean species, also known from the Azores and Canary Islands but not from Jamaica, because this species has the skeleton typical of the genus Chalinula , i.e. primary and secondary lines which are both more than one spicule long, it has oxeas which vary from vestigial strongyloxeas with truncated ends to sharply pointed oxeas, but which are never conical, no toxas, and an extremely soft and limp consistency.

Haliclona (Soestella) luciensis De Weerdt 2000 , only known from its type locality St. Lucia, has conical pointed oxeas of ca. 145–174 x 4.4–7 µm, very similar in shape and size to those of Haliclona (Reniera) portroyalensis n. sp., but it has the skeleton typical of the subgenus Soestella , i.e. the ectosome a discontinuous, uni­pauspicular tangential reticulation, the oxeas showing a tendency to form rounded meshes, and a choanosome with somewhat ill­defined primary and secondary lines with oxeas also showing a tendency to form uni­paucispicular rounded meshes. Other differences associated with Haliclona (Reniera) portroyalensis n.sp. are its laterally spreading, thickly encrusting to lobate­cushion shaped form, dark brown colour, the absence of toxas, and the presence of raphides as microscleres.

Toxas in a wide size range, and of similar shape as those of Haliclona (Reniera) portroyalensis n.sp. occur in Haliclona (Reniera) ruetzleri De Weerdt (2000) , a species originally described from Twin Cays, Belize, and recently collected by C. Jackson from the mangrove roots in Port Royal. H. (R.) ruetzleri belongs to same subgenus as Haliclona (Reniera) portroyalensis n.sp., which means that the species are difficult to tell apart on basis of the skeletal structure alone. The following differences are, however, sufficiently evident to distinguish the two species: shape and consistency, H. (R.) ruetzleri consisting of clusters of anastomosing, extremely slender and soft branches and proliferations, H. (R.) portroyalensis n. sp. forming digitate and slightly swollen processes of less soft, somewhat elastic consistency; size and form of the oxeas: H. (R.) ruetzleri having oxeas of smaller size (105–168 x 3.3–6 µm in the Twin Cays material; 102–117 x 3.6–6 µm in the Jamaican material) with long and sharp points versus the conical, short pointed oxeas of H. (R.) portroyalensis n. sp, in which they measure 153–210 x 6 –8.7 µm; the presence of sigmas of variable size in addition to the toxas in H. (R.) ruetzleri , which are absent in H. (R.) portroyalensis n. sp. scarce spongin in H. (R.) ruetzleri versus rather abundant spongin in H. (R.) portroyalensis n. sp.; and the colour which is light brown in H. (R.) ruetzleri and purple in H. (R.) portroyalensis n. sp.

The other Caribbean chalinids of the subgenus Reniera are: Haliclona (R.) implexiformis ( Hechtel 1965) , H. (R.) manglaris Alcolado 1984 , H. (R.) mucifibrosa De Weerdt et al. 1991 , H. (R.) ruetzleri De Weerdt 2000 , and H. (R.) tubifera ( George & Wilson 1919) .

Haliclona (R.) implexiformis is cushion­shaped with well­defined, regular outline and large, conspicuous oxeas rounded at the ends with strongylote spicula of ca. 95–167 x 3.7–9.3 µm.

Haliclona (R.) manglaris consists of laterally spreading sheets of conspicuous bright turquoise green colour, with sharply pointed oxeas of ca. 75–108 x 2–4 µm. It is known from several Caribbean localities, but not from Jamaica ( De Weerdt, 2000).

Haliclona (R.) mucifobrosa consists of irregular, lumpy masses with short, truncate oscular chimneys grayish purple to bluish grey colour, with large oxeas of ca. 185–250 x 7.4–13.5 µm.

Haliclona (R.) tubifera consists of cushion­shaped masses with volcano­ or chimney shaped oscular elevations, frequently with numerous long, thin proliferations branching off from the main body, with oxeas of ca. 105–170 x 4 –9.5 µm.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Haliclona (Reniera) portroyalensis n. sp., holotype, preserved specimen.

FIGURE 2. Haliclona (Reniera) portroyalensis n. sp., holotype, Transverse section showing skeletal structure of the choanosome. Scale bar = 100 µm.

FIGURE 3. Haliclona (Reniera) portroyalensis n. sp., holotype, Tangential view of the ectosome. Scale bar = 100 µm.

FIGURE 4. Haliclona (Reniera) portroyalensis n. sp., holotype, SEM photo of spicules. Scale bar = 100 µm.

FIGURE 5. Haliclona (Reniera) portroyalensis n. sp., holotype, gemmule­like body. Scale bar = 100 µm.