Clathria (Microciona) echinata (Alcolado, 1984)

(Fig. 11–12, 20 C, Tab. 4)

Axociella echinata Alcolado, 1984:7 .

Clathria (Microciona) simpsoni van Soest, 1984:97, Zea 1987:168. Clathria simpsoni sensu Pulitzer-Finali 1986:150 .

Clathria (Microciona) echinata sensu Hooper 1996:221, Díaz 2005:471.

Material examined. CNPGG –1198 Arcas Cay, Campeche 20º03.0’N 92º05.4’W, 6/IV/ 1983, 120 m depth, slimesand bottom. CNPGG –1240 Progreso, Yucatan 21º30’3”N 89º30’6”W, 7/VI/2012, 2 m depth. CNPGG –1248 Tampico, Tamaulipas 22º16’37.2”N 97º46’ 39.59W, 5/VI/1981, 24 m depth. CNPGG –1268, CNPGG –1284, CNPGG –1305 and CNPGG –1409 Progreso Yucatan 21º26’20.9”N 90º16’58.9”W, 5/VI/2012, on rock 2 m depth. CNPGG –1288 Progreso, Yucatan 21º20’49.8”N 90º8’51.29”W, 30/V/2012, 13 m depth.

Description. This is an erect, elongate sponge sometimes round massive 7–10 cm across, 5.5–10 cm in height by 4.5–10 cm in thickness, orange or red in vivo, light tan in spirit. It is slightly compressible in consistency. A conulose surface is noticeable owing to coarse protruding fibers. The dermis is lost or adhered to fibers when it is extracted from the water, and consists of auxiliary subtylostyles, cleistochelae, and isochelae; no oscula were seen (Fig. 11 A).

Skeleton. An irregular reticulation of thicker and thinner tracts 50–216 µm in diameter is present, and the inner choanosome skeleton is disposed into a confused trelliswork with the thickest tract measuring ca. 500 µm total width. The fibers become dendritic near the surface with plumose endings. All fibers are densely packed and sparsely echinated with styles (Fig. 11 B,C).

Spicules. (Fig. 12 A–G) Auxiliary subtylostyles (ectosomal) straight and slender, sometimes sinuous with spiny or smooth heads 166–450 × 2–7.8 µm; thick, smooth styles with blunt narrow heads 187–620 × 10.4–26 µm; cleistochelae probably in two size categories although in a continuous series of size 15.8–36 µm; normal palmate isochelae 16–20.2 µm; thin shallow curved toxa 8.8–13.4 µm less than 1 µm thick; oxeote spicule 146.1–642 × 2–5 µm, not abundant and most were broken (Measurements in Tab. 4).

Remarks. Clathria (M.) echinata shows a wide variation in habit with tubular or vase-shaped, upright massive, subspherical and incrusting morphotypes. The present material agrees with the original material from Alcolado (1984), although no rhaphides were found in the present, also being absent in records by van Soest (1984) and Zea (1987).

Clathria (M.) spinosa (see below) is the closest species in its general spinose architecture as well as in the spiculation, except for its lack of the distinctive cleistochelae. Clathria (M.) spinosa is different also in spicule measurements, with megascleres, toxiform oxeote and palmate isochelae being shorter, while auxiliary subtylostyles have a smaller diameter.

The present species has been reported in shallow waters, and occurs along reef environments. Nevertheless, sample 1198 occurs at Arcas Cay inside the Campeche Bank at 120 m depth, with general reefal conditions: clear water, isothermic bottom temperature of 20ºC along the year, high calcium carbonate and scant organic matter (Aguirre-Gómez & Morales-Manilla 2005). Data were also gathered from the R/V Justo Sierra station, where C. (M.) echinata was collected. Thus, an enlarged environment for the species is established.

Distribution. Campeche 120 m, Yucatan encrusted on a pier at 2 m; Jamaica 5–10 m; Puerto Rico, Cuba 10–13 m; Curaçao 20–25 m; Colombia; Panama 7 m.