Ciocalypta heterostyla Hentschel, 1912

Calcinai, Barbara, Belfiore, Giuseppe, Pica, Daniela, Torsani, Fabrizio, Palma, Marco & Cerrano, Carlo, 2020, Porifera from Ponta do Ouro (Mozambique), European Journal of Taxonomy 698, pp. 1-56 : 43-45

Ciocalypta heterostyla Hentschel, 1912

Fig. 24

Ciocalypta heterostyla Hentschel, 1912: 424 , pl. 14, fig. 3, pl. 21, fig. 58.

Material examined

PONTA DO OURO • 1 fragment with some fistules and the basal portion, about 2 ×1× 1 cm; 26°49′55.65″ S, 32°53′13.41″ E; Three Sisters; 23.9 m deep; 21 Feb. 2017; Cerrano leg.; PO63 .

Description

The sponge is burrowed under the sediment and only its erect fistules are visible ( Fig. 24A ). These are whitish, transparent, showing the yellow, internal axis. The alcohol preserved sample is a thin massive base bearing fistules; the color is dirty white. The consistence is really soft and extremely compressible.

SKELETON. The skeleton of the basal part consists of multispicular tracts in confusion and grains of sediment ( Fig. 24B ). The skeleton of fistules ( Fig. 24C ) has a central axis of densely packed spicules, about 100 µm in section, close to the base, and gradually thinner towards the apex of the fistula. From the axis, multispicular fibers, 20–25 µm in section, develop, opening in fans close to the surface ( Fig. 24C ).

SPICULES. The styles are in a wide range of shapes (straight, slightly curved, sinuous) and size, 285– (351.5, 63.7)– 495 µm ×5–(8.3, 1.5)– 10 µm ( Fig. 24 D–E).

Remarks

The presence on the surface of numerous finger-shaped and transparent fistulae with a central axis and the general structure of the skeleton are typical features of the genus Ciocalypta Bowerbank, 1862 . To date, there are 26 species of Ciocalypta described ( Van Soest et al. 2019). The specimen shares with Ciocalypta heterostyla Hentschel, 1912 the spicule size and shape, the skeleton organization and the

general morphology. This species is known from Indonesia and Arafura Sea ( Van Soest et al. 2019) and, therefore, this is the first record for the Indian Ocean.

Figures

Fig. 24. Ciocalypta heterostyla Hentschel, 1912. A. Fistules erect, coming out the sediment (PO63). B. Skeleton of the basal part. C. Skeleton of fistules. D–E. Styles.