Haliclona (Halichoclona) marcoriosi, Bispo & Willenz & Hajdu, 2022

Bispo, André, Willenz, Philippe & Hajdu, Eduardo, 2022, Diving into the unknown: fourteen new species of haplosclerid sponges (Demospongiae: Haplosclerida) revealed along the Peruvian coast (Southeastern Pacific), Zootaxa 5087 (2), pp. 201-252 : 226-228

Haliclona (Halichoclona) marcoriosi sp. nov.

( Figure 7 , Table 3 , Table 6)

Holotype. MNRJ 13069 (Vouchers: RBINS-IG 32241 -POR 13069, MHNG 85857 )— Cancas , Tumbes Region (03°55’14.10” S, 80°56’46.80” W), depth 15.2 m, coll. Y. Hooker & Ph. Willenz (30/XI/2009) . Paratypes. MNRJ 12975 (Vouchers: RBINS-IG 32241 -POR 12975, MHNG 85764 )— Punta Sal, Fondadero Balneario , Tumbes Region (03°58’04.1” S, 80°58’09.30” W), depth 9.7 m, coll. Y. Hooker, C. Segani & Ph. Willenz (21/XI/2009) ; MNRJ 13001 (Vouchers: RBINS-IG 32241 -POR 13001, MHNG 85789 )— Baja de La Antena, Punta Sal , Tumbes Region (03°57’15.60” S, 80°57’57.80” W), depth. 15–17 m, coll. Y. Hooker (22/XI/2009) . Additional material deposited in collections. MNRJ 11470 (Vouchers: RBINS-IG 32239 -POR 11470, MHNG 85466 ) — Baja de La Antena, Punta Sal , Tumbes Region (03°57’15.60” S, 80°57’57.80” W), depth 12 m, coll. Y. Hooker, M. Rios & Ph. Willenz (16/ X/2007) .

Diagnosis. The only Haliclona in the Eastern Pacific combining a repent-ramose habit,with several anisodiametric tubes, up to 5 cm high, frequently anastomosing, pinkish beige to pink colour alive, isotropic reticulation with few paucispicular tracts, and oxeas 97–157 µm long.

Description ( Fig. 7A, B ). Sponge mainly repent-ramose, irregular, with abundant tubular (MNRJ 11470, 13001 and 13069) or lobate (MNRJ 12975) projections of varied sections (from nearly circular to variously elliptic, 10–50 mm high), mostly not isodiametric (4–14 mm wide), bearing oscula on their sides, or more frequently apically, which are usually surrounded by a thin membrane (2–7 mm high). Occasional blind fistules/thorns present, especially close to the oscula. Surface smooth, even, punctate. Oscula circular to oval, 1–9 mm wide. Consistency firm, but brittle and fragile. Colour alive predominantly pink, but whitish and yellowish parts also occur, fading away in ethanol to an off-white to beige overall colouration.

Skeleton ( Fig. 7C–E ). Ectosome a dense and confused isotropic skeleton. Choanosome a unispicular isotropic reticulation more regular than the ectosome, though still dense, creating triangular meshes, but also with many spicules in confusion, and presence of spaces (221–866 µm in diameter); some poorly defined paucispicular tracts also observed, but without a clear orientation. Spongin scarce, barely observable at the nodes of the reticulation.

Spicules ( Fig. 7F, G ). Oxeas, acerate, most slightly curved, some straight, 97– 137 –164 x 1.6– 5.7 –9.0 µm ( Table 6).

Ecology. Found on rocky substrate, growing alone or interwoven with other benthic invertebrates, such as calcareous bryozoans (MNRJ 13001) or octocorals (MNRJ 11470). Depth ranging from 9.7 to 17 m. Water temperature during collection of MNRJ 13069 was 23° C.

Distribution ( Fig. 3C ). Only known from Cancas and Punta Sal (Tumbes, Region), in Peru.

Etymology. The epithet “ marcoriosi ” honours Marco Samuel Rios Morales, who joined the diving team with great enthusiasm and efficiency, at different occasions all along the ESPER Project (2007–2009).

Remarks. Haliclona (Halichoclona) marcoriosi sp. nov. is quite distinct from its congeners in the Eastern Pacific ( Table 3 ). Those that approach the new species in colour are H. agglutinata , from Easter Island; H. (Re.) caduca Hajdu et al., 2013 , from Los Lagos Region in Chile; H. (Halicl.) clairae Sim-Smith, Hickman Jr. & Kelly, 2021, from Galápagos; and H. (S.) roslynae Sim-Smith, Hickman Jr. & Kelly, 2021 , also from Galápagos. Nevertheless, the new species differs from H. agglutinata regarding the latter’s massive shape and predominant off-white colour ( Desqueyroux-Faúndez 1990). Haliclona (Halich.) marcoriosi sp. nov. is distinguished from H. (Re.) caduca given the latter’s much more delicate, unispicular skeleton, and much smaller oxeas (85–113 µm) ( Hajdu et al. 2013). The very soft consistency, the thickly encrusting shape and the smaller oxeas (93–117 µm) of H. (S.) roslynae (Sim- Smith et al. 2021) set this species and H. (Halich.) marcoriosi sp. nov. apart. On the other hand, H. (Halicl.) clairae resemble very much the new species not only in colour, but also given its punctate surface and presence of tubular projections. However, both species can be set apart by the thinly encrusting (3 mm thick) shape, very soft consistency, small oscula (up to 2 mm in diameter), and anisotropic reticulation of multispicular primary lines, regularly connected by unispicular secondary lines bounded by abundant nodal spongin as seen in H. (Halicl.) clairae ( Sim-Smith et al. 2021).

Another species that approaches H. (Halich.) marcoriosi sp. nov. due to its ramose habit is H. (Halicl.) ambrosia ( Dickinson, 1945), known from the San Marco Island at the Gulf of California. However, H. (Halicl.) ambrosia does not develop tubular projections, and has oxeas in two categories (oxeas I, 240 x 14; oxeas II, 130 x 3 µm long) ( Dickinson 1945).

Other species known to have a similar tubular habit are H. (S.) auletta ( Thiele, 1905) , H. (S.) chilensis ( Thiele, 1905) and H. (Halicl.) spinosella ( Thiele, 1905) . The first two are from the Los Lagos Region in Chile and the latter from the Strait of Magellan area. In spite of H. (S.) auletta ’s and H. (S.) chilensis ’ tubular habit, the tubes in H. (S.) auletta are particularly distinct as they arise from a basal mat ( Thiele 1905). Notwithstanding, both species are distinguished from the new species based on their loose and discontinuous skeleton with ill-defined paucispicular tracts close to the surface, in addition to short-pointed conical oxeas in H. (S.) auletta and blunt-pointed oxeas in H. (S.) chilensis ( Thiele 1905) . In turn, H. (Halicl.) spinosella is another tubular species, but with a surface much more irregular and verrucose ( Thiele 1905) than observed in H. (Halich.) marcoriosi sp. nov.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Map showing the geographic distribution of Peruvian haplosclerids. A, distribution of Chalinula chelysa sp. nov.; B, distribution of Chalinula ramiculosa sp. nov. and Haliclona (G.) concreta sp nov.; C, distribution of H. (Halich.) arequipaensis sp. nov., H. (Halich.) multiosculata sp. nov. and H. (Halich.) marcoriosi sp. nov.; D, distribution of H. (Halich.) paracas sp. nov., H. (Halich.) pellucida sp. nov. and (Reniera) parvuloxea sp. nov.; E, distribution of H. (Rhizoniera) spp. nov.; F, distribution of Niphates ruthecitae sp. nov. and Pachychalina lupusapia sp. nov.

FIGURE 7. Haliclona (Halichoclona) marcoriosi sp. nov. A, holotype alive (MNRJ 13069); B, paratype alive (MNRJ 12975); C–D, skeletal architecture in transverse ground section (MNRJ 13069, holotype); E, ectosomal skeleton architecture in tangential ground section (MNRJ 13069, holotype); F–G, oxeas (MNRJ 13069, holotype). Scale bars: A, 5 cm; B, 1 cm; C, 500 µm; D–E, 200 µm; F–G, 20 µm.