Latrunculia (Uniannulata) velera Lehnert, Stone & Heimler, 2006

Kelly, Michelle, Sim-Smith, Carina, Stone, Robert, Reiswig, Toufiek Samaai Henry & Austin, William, 2016, New taxa and arrangements within the family Latrunculiidae (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida), Zootaxa 4121 (1), pp. 1-48 : 20-22

Latrunculia (Uniannulata) velera Lehnert, Stone & Heimler, 2006 subgen. nov., comb. nov.

( Fig. 2 B, 9, 16AH; Tables 8 , 9 )

Latrunculia velera Lehnert, Stone & Heimler, 2006: 27 –30; Fig. 15 A–F, 16A–D. Latrunculia velera, Abbas et al. 2011: 2429 ‒2430; Fig. 8 D; Stone et al. 2011: 114, Fig. 1–3 ; 141; 145; 185, Fig. A, B; 186, Fig. C–F; 187, Fig. G–J.

Material Examined. None.

Distribution. Central Aleutian Islands.

Description. Club-shaped to sub-globose sponge with a flattened, circular to kidney-shaped apex ( Fig. 9 A, C), about 12 cm diameter, restricted base about 1–2 cm diameter. Slightly elevated cylindrical oscules regularly dispersed across a flat apex, areolate pore fields not visible, possibly positioned laterally. Surface smooth between the oscules, interior cavernous, markedly fibrous, wrinkled in the preserved condition (Fig. B), Overall texture leathery, slightly elastic, and easily torn. Colour in life dull brown, choanosome slightly darker.

Skeleton. Ectosomal skeleton, a detachable, paratangential layer of megascleres upon which sits a singlelayered palisade of anisodiscorhabds. Choanosomal skeleton, a wispy reticulation of megascleres in tracts (modified from Lehnert et al. 2006 and Stone et al. 2011).

Spicules. Megascleres ( Fig. 9 D), styles with lightly spined heads very lightly and irregularly spined distal ends ( Fig. 9 E), 500–540 × 9–11 µm.

Microscleres ( Fig. 9 F), anisodiscorhabds, manubrium, a single stump with denticulate margins, in the same line as the shaft. Basal whorl a ring of thick sculpted spines with rows of tiny teeth that curve along the edges of the sculpted sections, spines orientated obliquely towards manubrium. Median whorl a regular, thick ‘saucer’ with incised, sharply denticulate margins, located approximately centrally along the axis. Undifferentiated subsidiary/ apical whorl arises obliquely from the shaft, from just above the median whorl, forming a thick-walled, concave chalice with finely notched, beaded, denticulate margins. The apex sits atop the slightly concave subsidiary/apical cup and ranges in shape from a lemon-squeezer with five prominent beaded, denticulate ridges extending from the tip to the base, to an opening flower bud, with the tips of the five enfolded spines expanded out ( Fig. 9 F, I), 37–43 µm long.

Substrate, depth range and ecology. Locally common in the central Aleutians region where it is found attached to bedrock, boulders and cobbles between 412 and 1009 m, but relatively rare at depths shallower than 600 m.

Remarks. The anisodiscorhabds of L. (U.) velera are similar in general form to those of L. (U.) oparinae , with the undifferentiated subsidiary and apical whorls, and the clearly differentiated manubrium and basal whorl. However, the anisodiscorhabds in each species differ markedly in the degree of micro-ornamentation; in L. (U.) velera the anisodiscorhabds are very smooth with beaded denticulate margins in the apical region, while in L. (U.)

oparinae all features are microspined. The megascleres of L. (U.) velera (500–540 µm) are also considerably larger than those of L. (L.) hamanni sp. nov. (433–508 µm) and L. (U.) oparinae (400–464 µm), but similar in length to those of L. (B.) lincfreesei sp. nov. (480–590 µm). The latter species, however, has been recorded much further east, in the Gulf of Alaska. While L. (U.) velera occurs in the same general area as L. (L.) hamanni sp. nov. and L. (U.) oparinae , it occurs at depths well beyond these two species, from about 400–1000 m.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Comparison of microsclere morphology in family Latrunculiidae (not to scale): A. Anisodiscorhabd form in subgenus Latrunculia (Latrunculia) du Bocage, 1869 (type species L. (L.) bocagei Ridley & Dendy, 1886), showing the six substructures that characterise the anisodiscorhabds, whether differentiated or undifferentiated: m = manubrium, bw = basal whorl, mw = median whorl, sw = subsidiary whorl, aw = apical whorl, a = apex; B. Anisodiscorhabd form in subgenus Latrunculia (Biannulata) Samaai, Gibbons & Kelly, 2006 (type species L. (B.) kaakaariki Alvarez et al., 2002); C. Anisodiscorhabd form in subgenus Latrunculia (Uniannulata) subgen. nov. (type species L. (U.) oparinae Samaai & Krasokhin, 2002); D. Isospinodiscorhabd in genus Cyclacanthia Samaai, Govender & Kelly, 2004 (type species C. bellae (Samaai, Gibbons, Kelly & Davies-Coleman, 2003); E. Isochiadiscorhabd in genus Tsitsikamma Samaai & Kelly, 2002 (type species T. favus Samaai & Kelly, 2002); F. Anisodiscorhabd and amphiclad sceptre in genus Sceptrella Schmidt, 1870 (type species Sceptrella regalis Schmidt, 1870); G. Short anisodiscorhabd and long anisoconicorhabd in genus Latrunclava gen. nov. (type species L. imago gen. et sp. nov.); H. Anisodiscorhabd in genus Bomba gen. nov. (type species B. endeavourensis gen. et sp. nov.). Fig. 1 A, B, D modified and reproduced from Samaai et al. (2006), Samaai et al. (2004) and Samaai et al. (2003), respectively, with permission from Zootaxa (Magnolia Press). Fig. 1 E, F modified with permission from T. Samaai.

FIGURE 2. Distribution of North Pacific Latrunculiidae species: A. Gulf of Alaska, U. S. A and British Columbia, Canada; B. Central Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska, U. S. A. Locality data for the four Kurile Island specimens of Latrunculia (Uniannulata) oparinae subgen. nov. taken from Samaai & Krasokhin (2002) and Samaai et al. (2006). L = Latrunculia, B = Bomba gen. nov.

FIGURE 3. Latrunculia (Latrunculia) austini Samaai, Gibbons & Kelly, 2006: A. Holotype RBCM 982 - 62 - 1, British Columbia; B. Skookumchuck Narrows, Jervis Inlet, in situ; C. NHMUK 2008. 3. 27.3, Gulf of Alaska, 102 m, in situ; D. NHMUK 2008.3. 27.3, ibid, grid marks under preserved specimen are 1 cm 2; E. RBCM 014 - 00091 - 001, British Columbia, 384 m, in situ; F. RBCM 015 - 00479 - 001, Gulf of Alaska, 88 m, in situ; G. RBCM 015 - 00479 - 004, Gulf of Alaska, 106 m, distance between red laser dots is 10 cm; H. Ibid; I. Queen Charlotte Sound, 48.125 ° N, 125.371 ° W, 115 m, 27 May 2006, OCNMS ROPOS ROV Dive 953, in situ; J. Queen Charlotte Sound, 48.302 ° N, 124.938 ° W, 243 m, 0 1 Jun 2006, OCNMS ROPOS ROV Dive 958, in situ; K. Queen Charlotte Sound, 48.170 ° N, 125.370 ° W, 114 m, 11 Jul 2008, OCNMS ROPOS ROV Dive 1160, in situ. Fig. 3 A, 3 C, 3 D reproduced from Samaai et al. (2006, Fig. 3 H) with permission from Zootaxa (Magnolia Press), Stone et al. (2011: 145, Fig. 2) and Stone et al. (2011: 145, Fig. 1), respectively. Image credits for Fig. 3 A, B: Neil McDaniel, Fig. 3 I ‒ K: Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, taken using the Canadian Scientific Submersible Facility ROPOS ROV digital still camera, Fig. 3 C, D, F, G, H: Robert Stone.

FIGURE 8. Morphology, megascleres and microscleres of Latrunculia (Uniannulata) oparinae Samaai & Krasokhin, 2002 subgen. nov. comb. nov.: A. RBCM 015 - 00489 - 001, central Aleutian Islands, in situ; B. Specimen on left (green) in situ with L (L.) hamanni sp. nov. (right, brown specimen), Kanaga Island, central Aleutian Islands, 150 m, in situ; C. NHMUK 2011.2. 11.1, specimen on deck; D. RBCM 015 - 00487 - 001, scale = 1 cm; E. NHMUK 2006.8. 24.3, specimen on deck; F. Histological section showing palisade of anisodiscorhabds in outermost ectosome, a paratangential layer of megascleres below palisade, and cavernous choanosome below, scale = 200 µm; G. Acanthose head of anisostyle with retrovert and conical spines on apex (from RBCM 015 - 00490 - 003), scale = 20 µm; H. Typical anisodiscorhabd (from RBCM 015 - 00490 - 003), scale = 20 µm; I. Typical anisodiscorhabd (from NHMUK 2008.3.27.1), scale = 20 µm; J. Typical anisodiscorhabd (from NHMUK 2006.8.24.3), scale = 20 µm; K. Anisodiscorhabd manubrium and basal whorl (left) and apical whorl and apex (right) (from RBCM 015 - 00490 - 003), scale = 20 µm; L. Base of anisodiscorhabd showing manubrium and basal whorl (from NHMUK 2006.8.24.3), scale = 20 µm; M. Protorhabd (from RBCM 015 - 00490 - 003), scale = 20 µm; N. Immature anisodiscorhabds (from NHMUK 2006.8.24.3), scale = 20 µm.

FIGURE 9. Morphology, megascleres and microscleres of Latrunculia (Uniannulata) velera Lehnert, Stone & Heimler, 2006 subgen. nov. comb. nov.: A. Holotype USNM 1084238, in situ; B. Preserved holotype, scale = 1 cm; C. Uncollected specimen, west Amchitka Pass, central Aleutian Islands, 929 m, distance between red laser dots is 10 cm; D. Head of megasclere showing heavy conical spines, scale = 20 µm; E. Distal end of megasclere showing retrovert spines, scale = 20 µm; F. Range of mature anisodiscorhabds, scale = 20 µm; G. Protorhabds, scale = 20 µm; H. Protorhabd showing undifferentiated subsidiary and apical whorls, and differentiated manubrium and basal whorl, scale = 20 µm; I. Apex of microsclere showing apical region with ‘ lemon-squeezer’ apex, saucer-like undifferentiated apical and subsidiary whorl, and incised, denticulate petals or paddles of the median whorl, scale = 20 µm. Fig. 9 D – I taken from holotype USNM 1084238, Fig. 9 A, B reproduced from Stone et al. (2011), and Fig. 9 C – F, I were modified from Fig. 15 A, C, E, F, and Fig. 16 B, C and D of Lehnert et al. (2005), with permission from Zootaxa (Magnolia Press).

FIGURE 15. Megascleres and microscleres of Neopodospongia carlinae (Boury-Esnault & van Beveren, 1982): A. Megasclere and microsclere illustrated in Boury-Esnault & van Beveren (1982, Fig. 10 A, B); B. Strongyloxea, scale = 100 µm; C. Two size categories of aciculospinorhabds: the larger ectosomal form on the left has a compact crown of blade-like sculpted spines, the smaller choanosomal form on the right, scale = 20 µm; D. Ibid, scale = 20 µm; E. Group of aciculospinorhabds: small choanosomal form (left) and larger ectosomal forms to the right, scale = 20 µm; F. Apex of large ectosomal aciculospinorhabd, scale = 20 µm; G. Large ectosomal aciculospinorhabds, scale = 20 µm; H. Protorhabds showing the uneven shaft development (thicker at the base and apex than in the middle) typical of Podospongiidae, resulting from the fusion of the sigmoid progenitor rhabd (not shown), scale = 20 µm. Fig. B – H from holotype MNHN. D. NBE 1085, Kerguelen and Heard Islands continental shelf, 245 m.