Latrunculia (Biannulata) procumbens Alvarez et al., 2002

Samaai, Toufiek, Gibbons, Mark J. & Kelly, Michelle, 2006, Revision of the genus Latrunculia du Bocage, 1869 Porifera: Demospongiae: Latrunculiidae) with descriptions of new species from New Caledonia and the Northeastern Pacific (, Zootaxa 1127 (1), pp. 1-71 : 62-63

Latrunculia (Biannulata) procumbens Alvarez et al., 2002

(Figs 6D, 7, 8H; Tables 2 & 3)

Latrunculia procumbens Alvarez et al., 2002 , PG. 161, FIGS 3B, 5

Holotype material. Not examined, NZOI H­795 (97 TUT1­29 ) NIWA collection [ NIWA collection­station and locality data details are outlined in Appendix 1, Alvarez et al., (2002)].

Additional Paratype material. Not examined, NZOI P­1261 (97 TUT1­5 ), NZOI P­1262 (97 TUT1­26 ) NIWA collection [ NIWA collection­station and locality data details are outlined in Appendix 1, Alvarez et al., (2002)] .

Other material examined. MKB 723 (cross ref. Ts 11 and UAZA 6.3 ) Cape Brett , New Zealand, depth unknown . QM 310718 (cross ref. Q66C2025­ R and Ts 119) labeled Latrunculia brevis identified by CNB, Cape Brett , Northland, New Zealand, 35º 11' 50"S; 174º 20'40"E, depth 12 m, AIMS/NCI collection . QM 310735 (cross ref. Q66C2057­A and Ts 120) labeled Latrunculia sp. identified by CNB, New Zealand, depth 15–20 m, AIMS/NCI collection .

Diagnosis. Thinly to thickly encrusting with cylindrical oscules at the apex, or as thin fistules and mammiform areolate porefields ( Fig. 8H). Colour in life is dark green; in preservative, dark brown. Styles are fusiform and slightly sinuous, 369(311–437) x 7 (4–9) m, n=20. Anisodiscorhabds (Fig. 6D) have an expanded manubrium and the median whorl is midway between manubrium and apical whorl. The subsidiary whorl is more or less wing­like, slanted slightly upwards and situated directly below and almost fused with the apical whorl. There is also no basal whorl of spines present above the manubrium as characteristic for this subgenus. The whorls are notched along the rim and divided into segments, each segment possessing denticulate margins of 5 spines. The denticulate margins of the subsidiary and median whorls are microspined, and the apical whorl and manubrium are smooth, 29 (21–35) x 5 (2–7) m, n=20. The choanosomal skeleton is often vaguely reticulate, but where reticulation is visible an irregular polygonal­meshed reticulation of wispy tracts of smooth styles makes it up (see Fig. 5B in Alvarez et al. 2002). There is no distinction between primary and secondary tracts. These tracts range in width from <100 m in thickness. Towards the surface the spicules tend to be vertically arranged and just below this triangular or oval meshes are visible. Interstitial megascleres and anisodiscorhabds scattered abundantly throughout choanosome. The surface of the ectosome is lined with an erect layer of single non­interlocking anisodiscorhabds. Beneath the discorhabds in the ectosome is a thick paratangential­tangential layer of densely interlocking megascleres, 100–300 m deep. The sponge is found on vertical walls, in serge and shaded areas at a depth between 2–20 m (after Alvarez et al. 2002).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 7 ). New Zealand

Remark. As explained by Alvarez et al. (2002), L. procumbens can clearly be differentiated from L. kaakaariki and L. duckworthi , only on genetic data, but not on the structure of the acanthodiscorhabd ( Table 2), although on average L. procumbens have thinner microscleres ( Table 3). However, this clearly does not the case between the three New Zealand species and structural differences are very apparent on the structure of the acanthodiscorhabds. For example, L. duckworthi have a very compact manubrium and apical whorl, whereas these structures are expanded in L. procumbens . The apical whorl of L. duckworthi is also not fused with the subsidiary whorl as in L. procumbens . Apart from this the medium and subsidiary whorls of the acanthodiscorhabd in L. duckworthi are microspined compared to being smooth as in L. procumbens .

Latrunculia procumbens also differs in gross morphology and colouration from L. duckworthi and L. kaakaariki in that it is thinly encrusting, is green/khaki in life, as appose to being thickly encrusting to massive and either green or chocolate brown in colour as observed in L. duckworthi and L. kaakaariki respectively. The species seems to be close to L. wellingtonensis based on the structure of the acanthodiscorhabd.

Figures

FIGURE 5. Photomicrographs of choanosomal architectures: A. Latrunculia ikematsui Tanita 1968; B. Latrunculia oxydiscorhabda Alvarez et al. 2002; C. Latrunculia triverticillata Alvarez et al. 2002; D. Latrunculia austini sp. nov.; E. Latrunculia citharistae Vacelet 1969; F. Latrunculia purpurea Carter 1881.

FIGURE 7. Worldwide distributions of Latrunculia (Biannulata) species. Distributions of A) Latrunculia spinispiraefera Brøndsted, B) Latrunculia citharistae Vacelet, C) Latrunculia purpurea Carter, D) Latrunculia oparinae Samaai and Krasokhin; E) Latrunculia lunaviridis Samaai and Kelly; F) Latrunculia microacanthoxea Samaai and Kelly; G) Latrunculia kaakaariki Alvarez et al.; H) Latrunculia duckworthi Alvarez et al.; I) Latrunculia procumbens Alvarez et al.; J) Latrunculia wellingtonensis Alvarez et al., 2002; K) Latrunculia kaikoura Alvarez et al.; L) Latrunculia millerae Alvarez et al.; M). Latrunculia austini sp. nov.