Hyattella sulfurea Calcinai & Belfiore, 2020

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 : 7-8

Hyattella sulfurea Calcinai & Belfiore sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:35359CE5-EA33-4149-86E7-A221B964A78E

Fig. 4

Diagnosis

A species of Hyattella characterized by its light yellow color and fibers without inclusions.

Etymology

Named after its yellow color in life, from the Latin name ‘ sulfureus ’, meaning ‘yellow’.

Material examined

Holotype

PONTA DO OURO • 3 small fragments, size of the largest about 3× 1.5×07 cm; 26°50′36.881″ S, 32°54′54.471″ E; Atlantis; 47.7 m deep; 4 Mar. 2017; Cerrano leg.; MSNG 61417 .

Description

The live sponge ( Fig. 4A ) is spherical, irregularly massive; on the surface, a net of fibers creates a clear web pattern connecting the prominent oscula among the thin cuticle. Where the sponge is not covered by foreign material and epibionts, the color appears light yellow ( Fig. 4A ). The color in the preserved state is dark brown (the pigments colored also the alcohol with a dark pinkish tinge). The sponge is firm and compressible; the body is lacunose.

SKELETON. It consists of a quite regular network of primary fibers, 25–55 µm wide, the secondary fibers, 10–20 µm wide, form polygonal meshes of 200–250 µm in dimensions ( Fig. 4B ). Primary fibers less common with respect to secondary ones. All the fibers are free from inclusions.

Remarks

The species of the genus Hyattella have a lacunose body, an unarmoured surface and a skeleton composed of common, primary fibers linked by secondary fibers; primary fibres are cored and the secondary are free of inclusion ( Cook & Bergquist 2002). However, the species Hyattella cavernosa (Pallas, 1766) , whose skeleton is free of foreign material (see Lendenfeld 1889: 298, as Hippospongia dura ), such as H. sulfurea sp. nov., is included in this genus. On that note, we consider the species here described belonging to the genus Hyattella , on the basis of its lacunose body, unarmored surface, common primary fibers and the presence of a dermal reticulation. Other related genera, such as Spongia Linnaeus, 1759 and Hippospongia Schulze, 1879 include species devoid of a lacunose body, or devoid of common primary fibers or a dermal reticulation.

This genus includes 21 species, all with an Indo-Pacific distribution except for H. obscura Lendenfeld, 1889 and H. cavernosa (Pallas, 1766) from the Atlantic Ocean ( Van Soest et al. 2019). All these species are characterized by thicker primary and secondary fibers. Only H. meander Lendenfeld, 1889 has thinner primary and secondary fibers of 47 µm and 27–47 µm, respectively, but it is branched and its primary fibers are full of sand.

Figures

Fig. 4. Hyattella sulfurea Calcinai & Belfiore sp. nov. A. Holotype MSNG 61417 in situ. B. Network of primary fibers.