Reidispongia tuberculata, Schlacher-Hoenlinger & Pisera & Hooper, 2005

Schlacher-Hoenlinger, Monika A., Pisera, Andrzej & Hooper, John N. A., 2005, Deep-sea “ lithistid ” assemblages from the Norfolk Ridge (New Caledonia), with description of seven new species and a new genus (Porifera, Demospongiae), Zoosystema 27 (4), pp. 649-698 : 692

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.5281/zenodo.5393958

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/03CE2F2C-7E21-D971-3BC1-FB82FCCDF961

treatment provided by

Marcus

scientific name

Reidispongia tuberculata
status

sp. nov.

Reidispongia tuberculata View in CoL n. sp.

( Figs 4C View FIG ; 19 View FIG ; 33 View FIG )

HOLOTYPE. — New Caledonian Slope, 22°52’22”S, 167°12’27”E, 340-381 m, RV Alis, 28.VI.2001, Warén dredge, coll. T. Schlacher ( MNHN DCL 3907 About MNHN , a fragment of the holotype in QM [G318677s). ETYMOLOGY. — Named for the tuberculation of desmas. GoogleMaps

DESCRIPTION

Growth form

Massive shallow cup/bowl-shaped with thick walls, round margins and a simple base. The examined specimen is about 3 cm high, 5.5 cm wide and has a 2 cm broad base.

Colour

Light blue to dirty white in etoh.

Oscules

Not visible.

Texture

Hard, stony.

Surface ornamentation

Rough.

Ectosomal skeleton

Smooth dichotriaenes and some long oxeas occur on both surfaces. Microscleres in the ectosome are amphiasters/streptasters with short and massive rays covered by numerous low spines and rounded, blunt tips.

Choanosomal skeleton

The relatively dense choanosomal skeleton consists of strongly tuberculated tetraclone desmas. Microscleres in the choanosome are amphiasters/streptasters which are covered with hook-like spines and have long and slender rays with pointed ends.

Megascleres

Tetraclone desmas are thick, and more or less evenly covered by numerous mushroom-shaped, round, invariably smooth tubercles: 700- 750 µm/35-65 µm.

Dichotriaenes: 350-400 µm long × 150-440 µm (diameter of the cladome).

Oxeas: 1200-1800 µm × 10-15 µm.

Microscleres

Massive amphiasters/streptasters: 12.6-13.8 × 10.1-11.7 µm.

Streptasters with long pointed rays: (very variable) 14.4-37.2 × 12.9-30.4 µm.

REMARKS

This species slightly resembles Reidispongia coerulea in its blue live colouration and microsclere spiculation. Upon closer investigation, however, it is distinguished from that species in differences in morphology (cup-shaped and very thick walled, while R. coerulea has very thin folded walls), and desmas (which are strongly tuberculated, with rounded mushroom-like tubercles [ Fig. 19 View FIG Ds as compared to smooth zygomes in R. coerulea [ Fig. 20 View FIG Fs).

MNHN

Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle

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