Fascaplysinopsis reticulata ( Hentschel, 1912 )

Ekins, Merrick, Erpenbeck, Dirk, Debitus, Cécile, Petek, Sylvain, Mai, Tepoerau, Wörheide, Gert & Hooper, John N. A., 2023, Revision of the genus Fascaplysinopsis, the type species Fascaplysinopsis reticulata (Hentschel, 1912) (Porifera, Dictyoceratida, Thorectidae) and descriptions of two new genera and seven new species, Zootaxa 5346 (3), pp. 201-241 : 207-214

Fascaplysinopsis reticulata ( Hentschel, 1912)

Figures 3–6

Aplysinopsis reticulata Hentschel, 1912: 437–439 , Pl. XV (1), XVI (9)

Fascaplysinopsis reticulata ( Hentschel, 1912) , Bergquist 1980: 478

Not: Aplysinopsis reticulata: sensu Bergquist 1980: 478 , Fig. 16 A–C

Not: Fascaplysinopsis reticulata: sensu Bergquist 1995: 18 , Fig. 9

Fascaplysinopsis reticulata : in part Hooper & Wiedenmayer 1994: 226

Not: Fascaplysinopsis (cf.) reticulata ( Erpenbeck et al. 2020a)

Not: Fascaplysinopsis cf. reticulata: Mai et al. 2019

? Fascaplysinopsis reticulata: Helmy et al. 2004

Material examined. Syntype (here designated as lectotype), SMF 904 , Dobo Straits , Aru Islands , Indonesia, Arafura Sea , 5.7528°S, 134.2603°E, 40 m, Limestone , Station 4, Coll. Merton, H., 20/III/1908 .

Other material. Gulf of Carpentaria(Yellow Form): QM G325372 , Gulf of Carpentaria , Queensland, Australia, 15.92141°S, 139.89828°E, 39.4 m, Trawl, Coll . CSIRO, GOC60082 , Site 152, Sample 041279, 2/III/2005 ; QM G325627 , Gulf of Carpentaria , Queensland, Australia, 15.67479°S, 138.05755°E, 45.8 m, Trawl, Coll . CSIRO, GOC60339 , Sample 042388, 10/III/2005 ; QM G325444 , Gulf of Carpentaria , Queensland, Australia, 15.68718°S, 138.90452°E, 30.4 m, Rock dredge, Coll . CSIRO, GOC60156 , Sample 042930, 8/IV/2005 ; QM G325493 , Gulf of Carpentaria , Queensland, Australia, 15.93543°S, 139.16923°E, 38 m, Rock dredge, Coll . CSIRO, GOC60205 , 048883 , 1/IV/2005 ; QM G325528 , Gulf of Carpentaria , Queensland, Australia, 15.70695°S, 138.04324°E, 44.4 m, Benthic sled, Coll . CSIRO, GOC60240 , Sample 042207, 7/III/2005 ; QM G325618 , Gulf of Carpentaria , Queensland, Australia, 15.6748°S, 138.0574°E, 45.8 m, Trawl, Coll . CSIRO, GOC60330 , Site 72–480, Sample 042395, 10/III/2005 ; QM G325856 , Gulf of Carpentaria , Queensland, Australia, 16.0116°S, 139.75623°E, Coll . CSIRO, GOC62543 , Sample 600011, 7/III/2005 ; QM G325327 , Gulf of Carpentaria , Queensland, Australia, 16.04777 oS, 139.05137 oE, 26 m, Grab, Coll . CSIRO, GOC60045 , Sample 048853, 1/IV/2005 ; QM G325656 , Gulf of Carpentaria , Queensland, Australia, 15.6748°S, 138.0574°E, 45.8 m Coll. CSIRO, GOC60368 , Sample 042394, 10/III/2005 ; QM G325658 , Gulf of Carpentaria , Queensland, Australia, 15.76436°S, 138.36246°E, 43.8 m, Trawl, Coll . CSIRO, GOC60370 , Sample 042918, 19/III/2005 ; QM G325684 , Gulf of Carpentaria , Queensland, Australia, 15.79066°S, 138.10367°E, 41.4 m, Trawl, Coll . CSIRO, GOC61259 , Sample 00013, 6/III/2005 ; QM G325393 , Gulf of Carpentaria , Queensland, Australia, 15.9213°S, 139.8984°E, 39.4 m, Trawl, Coll . CSIRO, GOC60104 , Site 25–152, Sample 041280, 2/III/2005 ; QM G325499 , GOC60211 , Sample 041281, same collection data as QM G325393 ; QM G325658 , Gulf of Carpentaria , Queensland, Australia, 15.764365 ° S, 138.36246°E, 43.8 m, Trawl, Coll . CSIRO SS200503 on RV Southern Surveyor , GOC60370 , Sample 041280, 19/III/2005 ; QM G321026 , Torres Straits , Queensland, Australia, 10.91°S, 141.66°E, 18.2 m, Trawl, Coll. M. Ekins on RV James Kirby , TS80000729, 14/I/2004 .

East Coast of Queensland (Grey Form): QM G314421 , Myrmedon Reef , Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia, 18.26094°S, 147.37699°E, 25 m, gullies, overhangs and large isolated bommies , SCUBA, Coll. S.D. Cook, J.D. Kennedy, C.L. Adams & G. Wörheide, 23/I/1999 ; QM G330221 , Great Barrier Reef , Queensland, Australia, 19.565°S, 147.925°E, 36 m, Trawl, Coll . CSIRO on RV Gwendoline May , Great Barrier Reef Seabed Biodiversity Project, SBD510398, Site 1737, Sample 009533 1/ V /2004; QM G315365 , Stevens Reef , Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, Australia, 20.5427494 ° S, 150.1072235 ° E, 30 m, back reef , SCUBA, Coll. S.D. Cook, J.D. Kennedy, C.L. Adams, G. Wörheide & D. Edson. 7/ VI /1999.

Other material. QM G321721 , Masthead Is , Capricorn Bunker Group, Queensland, Australia, 23.539767 ° S, 151.7169 ° E, 5–13.4 m, Coral bommies, SCUBA, Coll. M. Ekins, G. Carini, A. Crowther, S. Cook, C. Strickland, P. Sutcliffe & M. Mitchell, 10/XI/2004 ; QM G321751 , Polmaise Reef , Capricorn Bunker Group, Queensland, Australia, 23.568917 ° S, 151.7131 ° E, 5–14m Coral bommies, caves, overhangs, SCUBA, Coll. M. Ekins, G. Carini, A. Crowther, S. Cook, M. Strickland, P. Sutcliffe & M. Mitchell, 11/XI/2004 ; QM G307378 , Experimental Gardens , Heron Island, Capricorn Bunker Group, Queensland, Australia, 23.433611°S, 151.918333°E, 18 m, large bommies, overhangs, sand base at 20 m, SCUBA, Coll. J.N.A. Hooper, S.D. Cook, J.A. Kennedy, & P.A. Tomkins, 10/VIII/1996; QM G321587 , Sykes Reef , Heron Island , Capricorn Bunker Group, Queensland, Australia, 23.45125°S, 152.03878°E, 15–19.2 m, Coral reef, SCUBA, Coll. M. Ekins, G. Carini, A. Crowther, S. Cook, M. Strickland, P. Sutcliffe & M. Mitchell, 8/XI/2004 .

Distribution. The current distribution extends in a clockwise arc from Indonesia, in the Indian Ocean, across the Arafura Sea, along the top and down of the East Coast of Australia through the Great Barrier Reef ( Fig. 3 ).

Remarks. The original description of Hentschel (1912) is an accurate one regarding the traits observed from specimen SMF904, i.e. the larger, brighter, matt yellow one from Dobo Strait, Aru Islands, so the original description is translated in full here (from the German). “ Aplysinopsis reticulata n.sp. (Table XV, Fig. 1 : Table XVI, Fig. 9 .). Characteristics: Erect, plump branching, up to 10 cm in height. Surface with 1–2.5 mm high conuli, which are connected by high ridges. Colour yellow, grey or black. Oscula up to 6mm wide, scattered. Main (Principal) fibres of the skeleton 144–216 µm thick, tending to form bundles. Secondary fibres 25–130 µm thick, irregularly branching, containing marrow substance and forming meshes of 200–500 µm diameter. Distribution: Arafura-Sea. Collection details: Aru Islands: Stat. 4. Dobo Strait, 40 m depth, limestone rock, March 20 1908, one piece; Station 11 at Pupu Bambu, 10 m depth, rocky bottom with sand and corals, April 3, 1908, one piece. Description: Both sponges have a narrow basal part, out of which rise two inept branches. In one, the branches spread out and taper towards the end, in the other, the branches rise parallel to each other and remain inept and blunt. The latter, the larger specimen is 10 cm high and 7 cm wide. The larger of its “branches” is about 6 cm long and 4 cm wide. The surface has, with exception in few areas, a very characteristic, reticulate or grid-like appearance due to the fact that the conuli are connected to each other by sharp and comparatively high ridges. The conuli are 1–2.5 mm high. Their distance to each other is usually and constantly 3–4 mm, which leads to the uniformity of the meshes. The pores are regularly dispersed in the depression between the ridges. The colour of both sponges in alcohol is strikingly different; the one is a bright matt yellow-grey, the other black or black-brown, and only at one, probably covered, position grey. Nevertheless, also this sponge has a yellow colour inside. For the brighter sponge, the colour in vivo has been reported as brownishyellow. The darker piece possesses only one osculum, however the brighter piece displays several smaller and larger openings of up to 6 mm irregularly scattered on the surface. The larger are shallow grooves, which form the endpoints of several canals. The skeleton consists of strong principal fibres, which contain foreign material, and weaker connective fibres, with distinguishable marrow and bark. The principal fibres have a thickness of 144–216 µm. The inner third of the fibre diameter almost always contains fragments of spicula. The outer two thirds display different layers. Often two or more of these fibres joint into bundles either by connecting to the main fibres in perpendicular short transversal bridges or by separating and re-anastomosing or winding around each other etc. In this regard they remind the fibres of Stelospongia or Hircinia , but in less frequent and regular manner. The distance between two principal fibres is about 1600µm. The connection between two adjacent fibres is pretty irregularly. At one position, where the soft body is damaged, they protrude freely, only every now and then a transversal bridge, and rarely formation of meshes. In the lower parts and similar in the inner parts of the sponge we observe a considerably denser and more regularly skeletal network. At the basis, where the sponge is broken, several fibre ends protrude in a very thick mass. The stronger connective fibres are usually perpendicular from the main fibres, from which separate again perpendicular weaker fibres, however this branching becomes more and more irregularly. The width of the meshes varies between 200 and 500 µm. The thickness of the connective fibres is 25–130 µm. We can almost always distinguish a distinct marrow substance in these, which can measure in the stronger fibres about 5/10 of its fibre thickness, but greatly varies and can rise to 9/10 of the fibre thickness in weaker fibres. However, the marrow substance thickness is not disproportional to the fibre thickness, but disproportional to the fibre age. A fibre, which cannot grow any further, has a relatively weak marrow substance, a fibre, which will grow thicker, seems to build a large marrow substance. The colour of the fibres is a bright, shiny yellow. A surface layer in both sponges is filled with spicule fragments. The choanocyte chambers are nowhere clearly observable and seem to have a diameter of 25–30 µm. Remarks. This new species is distinct from the three Australian species of v. Lendenfeld in many aspects; for examples it differs due to the fact that the fibres do not possess sand but broken spicules. The Mediterranean species of Szymanki, A. massa and A. tuberosa , are different by the means of skeleton fibre thickness.”

Remarks. The original description of Hentschel (1912) is accurate regarding the traits observed from specimen SMF904, i.e. the larger, brighter, matt yellow one from Dobo Strait, Aru Islands.

Description:

Growth form: The sponge is an erect thick fan to branching thick fingers ( Figs. 4 A– B , 5 A–B , 6 A–C ).

Colour: The preserved lectotype has a yellowish colour due to the underlying collagen. The material collected from the Gulf of Carpentaria and the Torres Straits is also yellowish exterior, whilst the material collected by SCUBA from the Great Barrier Reef is purple grey to black underwater and on deck. When preserved in ethanol the external colour is a beige to light brown, the internal colouration is the same. The true colour of the sponges is usually obscured by the colonised epibionts .

Oscules: The oscules are rare and scattered and 3–4 mm in diameter.

Texture: The sponge is compressible, firm and tough.

Surface: The surface is finely conulose, often covered with other epibionts including sponges, ascidians, octocorals, bryozoans and hydroids.

Ectosomal skeleton: The sponge has a superficial armouring, but can also contain the detritus from the epibionts listed above.

Choanosomal skeleton: The primary fibres are thick (150–300 μm), heavily laminated, cored by detritus and fasciculated. The secondary (40–100 μm) and tertiary fibres (20–30 μm) are laminated but clear of coring. Occasionally the secondary of tertiary fibres may show slight pithing ( Fig. 5 H ).

Ecology. The two forms of this sponge are associated with different habitats. The yellow form is trawled from areas between the reef from Northern Australia from 18–46 m depth. Whilst the grey form is collected directly from the reef substrate at 5–30 m depth ( Fig. 3 ). Both forms are heavily encrusted with epibionts including ascidians such as Didemnids, octocorals such as Carijoa Müller 1867 , sponges, bryozoans, hydroids and algae.

DNA Barcodes.

28S: QM G315365 (OX458942), QM G325327 (OX458943), QM G314421 (OX458941), QM G325493 (OX458944).

ITS: QM G314421 (OX458962), QM G315365 (OX458961), QM G325327 (OX458960), QM G325528 (OX458954), QM G307378 (LR699391), QM G325444 (OX458957), QM G325684 (OX458951), QM G325393 (OX458958), QM G325499 (OX458955), QM G325372 (OX458959), QM G325493 (OX458956), QM G325856 (OX458950), QM G325627 (OX458953), QM G325658 (OX458952).

28S and several ITS barcodes are identical with the Syntype SMF 904 as sequenced in a targeted sequencing approach by Agne et al. (2022) (OP082413, OP045594).

Remarks. Examination of the recent specimens collected from the Gulf of Carpentaria show that whilst spicules are well represented as coring debris in the primary fibres, there are also sand and even bryozoan plates included. Thus, the debris composition is most likely an indication of the surrounding sponge community, the muddy substrate, and probably affected by the local currents and is not specific for this species as Hentschel (1912) suggested. Examination of the new material also allowed new measurements of the diameters of the primary (150–250 µm), secondary (60–90 µm) and tertiary fibres(20–25 µm), illustrated in Fig. 5 G .All of the specimens collected by trawling had no underwater photographs, however there are deck photographs ( Fig. 5 A ) and photographs immediately after thawing showing some of the original colouration ( Fig. 5 B–C ). Examination of the type and fresh material, show the fasciculations and ladder-like connections of the secondary fibres do exist, but are rare ( Figs. 4 C–D , 5 E–H ).

Examination of material collected by SCUBA from the east coast of Queensland, separated from the Gulf of Carpentaria by the NE biogeographic turnover point ( Hooper & Ekins 2009) of the Torres Straits, shows a grey/ purple/black colouration to the samples underwater and on deck. This is possibly similar to the other specimen that Hentschel (1912) mentioned (not examined). When preserved in ethanol the external colour change to a beige to light brown, and the internal colouration is the same. These sponges are also erect thick fans to branching fingers, similar to Hentschel’s (1912) description. The surface is more finely conulose ( Fig. 5 C ), with more emergent fibres on the surface than the type specimen, possibly caused by gentler handing during collection by SCUBA. The surface is often covered with other epibionts including sponges, ascidians, bryozoans and hydroids, a point which is not mentioned in Hentschel’s (1912) description, but can be seen on parts of the holotype ( Fig. 4 A ). These compressible, firm and tough specimens are slightly harsher than the Gulf of Carpentaria specimens. They also have rare and scattered oscules 3–4 mm in diameter, which is similar to most mentioned in the description of the holotype. The sponges are unarmoured, but can also contain the detritus from the epibionts, giving it some superficial armouring noted above and in the original description. The primary fibres are also thick (200–300 μm), heavily laminated, cored by detritus and fasciculated, slightly thicker than the original description but very similar in construction. The secondary (40–100 μm) and tertiary fibres (20–30 μm) are laminated but clear of coring, these are within range of Hentschel’s (1912) connective fibre widths. Occasionally the secondary or tertiary fibres may show slight pithing ( Fig. 5 G–J ).

The species Fascaplysinopsis reticulata ( Hentschel, 1912) , is valid, and is valid as the type species of Fascaplysinopsis as designated by Bergquist (1980). However, the descriptions of the species in Bergquist (1980 and 1995) are not of this species, they are of species belonging to the new genera ( Skolosachlys gen. nov.) and Rubrafasciculus gen. nov., respectively. Many of the sponges identified as Fascaplysinopsis reticulata , will need reviewing, indeed Fascaplysinopsis cf. reticulata ( Mai et al. 2019) is now Rubrafasciculus cerasus sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURE 1. The four main types and relative sizes of the spongin fibres. See Glossary for definitions.

FIGURE 3. Distribution of Fascaplysinopsis reticulata, Fascaplysinopsis palauensis sp. nov., Fascaplysinopsis klobos sp. nov. and Fascaplysinopsis ronquinni sp. nov. Base map modified from freevectormaps.com.

FIGURE 4. Fascaplysinopsis reticulata (Hentschel, 1912). A. Preserved lectotype SMF 904. B. Alternate view the lectotype SMF 904. C. Cross section of the choanosome showing the coring and lamination of the primary fibres (in cross section) and the lamination of the secondary fibres (in longitudinal section). D. Cross section of the choanosome showing the primary, secondary and tertiary fibres.

FIGURE 5. Fascaplysinopsis reticulata (Hentschel, 1912) Yellow form. A. QM G325372 on deck immediately after trawling, showing colouration and epibionts. B. QM G325372 immediately after thawing. C. QM G325372 close up of B showing the large conules and the membranous collagen with a plastic like appearance between them. D. QM G325372 fixed showing the sharp conules and membranous valleys. E. Digested tissue of QM G325372, showing the large primary fibres arising in parallel and the secondary fibres bridging the large spaces. F. Digested tissue of QM G325372, showing the coring in the primary fibres and uncored secondary fibres. G. QM G325372 fine tertiary fibres between the secondary fibres. H. Microscope transverse section of QM G325372 showing cored primary fibres, some secondary fibres showing pith and the tertiary fibres (arrow) in the collagenous matrix. I. Microscope transverse section of QM G325372 showing fasciculating primary fibres connected by secondary fibres. J. Microscope cross section of QM G325444 through the primary fibres, showing secondary and tertiary fibres.

FIGURE 6. Fascaplysinopsis reticulata. Grey form. A. QM G314421 underwater. B. QM G314421 on deck immediately after collection. C. Fixed QM G314421, showing epibionts. D. Digested tissue, showing the coring in the primary fibres and uncored secondary fibres. E. Microscope section showing the superficial armouring and loose fasciculation of primary cored fibres. F. Microscope section showing the laminated coring primary fibres, and the uncored secondary and tertiary fibres. G. Microscope section showing secondary fibres joining primary fibres, on the bottom right. H. Microscope section showing the conule construction with the secondary fibres supporting the primary fibre.

FIGURE 9. Fascaplysinopsis ronquinni sp. nov. A. Holotype QM G339083 on deck immediately after collection, and B. fixed. C. Surface of the holotype showing the primary fibres emerging through the ectosome. D. Primary fibres cored with bryozoan and isopod scales. E. Heavily laminated primary, secondary and tertiary fibres. F. Laminated fibres showing the pigmentation.

FIGURE 16. Rubrafasciculus cf. cerasus sp. nov. A. QM G306488 underwater.B. CASIZ 300177 underwater.C. QM G306488 preserved, exterior surface and interior surface. D. QM G306488 surface, showing the transparent membrane and the thick sand armouring of the ectosome and the collagenous choanosome. E. QM G306488 Cored primary fibres and the uncored secondary and tertiary fibres of the holotype. F. QM G306488 Magnified section showing the thick cored primary fibres and the uncored secondary and tertiary fibres of the holotype.