Agelas conifera ( Schmidt, 1870 )

Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, Zootaxa 5031 (1), pp. 1-112 : 10

Agelas conifera ( Schmidt, 1870)

Tables 6, 7; Figs. 3A–D , 16B

Synonymy and references: Chalinopsis conifera Schmidt (1870: 60) , Muricy et al. (2011: 37), and Parra-Velandia et al. (2014: 318); Agelas conifera: Rützler et al. (2009: 302) , Muricy et al. (2011: 38), Parra-Velandia et al. (2014: 318), and Pérez et al. (2017:11).

Type locality. The Antilles.

Material examined. CNPGG-1696, Alacranes reef (22.45838°N, 89.61122°W), 12 m depth, coll. Nuno Simões, 10 August 2016; CNPGG-2364, CNPGG-2373, Banco Nuevo reef (20.54561°N, - 91.87944°W), 20 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 20 September 2017.

Description. Massive habit with lobate cone growths, sometimes club-shaped ( Fig. 16B ); the largest specimen measures up to 6.5 × 3.5 × 3 cm. Surface smooth, slightly lobulated without visible pores. Oscules partially covered by a translucent membrane, up to 1 cm in diameter. Color in vivo greenish light-brown, and light brown after fixation. Consistency is slightly compressible.

Skeleton. A reticulation of spongin fibers; round meshes up to 600 µm in diameter ( Figs. 3A–B ). Ascending fibers of 50–100 µm in thickness, cored by several spicules. Uncored interconnecting fibers 30–50 µm in thickness, echinated by few spicules ( Fig. 3C ).

Spicules. Megascleres: verticillate styles like acanthostyles in appearance (fully spined; Fig. 3D ), slightly curved, in a large size range; 100– 148 (40.6)–228/5– 8.1 (1)–9.2 µm.

Distribution. Mexico (current records), Cuba ( Alcolado 2002), other countries in the Caribbean Sea, Brazil ( Parra-Velandia et al. 2014).

Remarks. The material examined follows all aspects of the original description, including those from Parra- Velandia et al. (2014), who have extensively studied the present species. Except for the thinner acanthostyles in our specimens than those from Parra-Velandia et al. (2014) (72–205/3–18 µm), they are within the expected length range. The specimens of Agelas conifera recorded by Gómez (2002) correspond to A. tubulata confirmed by Parra- Velandia et al. (2014), and we agree with that observation. A. conifera probably was recorded in Florida, but the references quoted by Rützler et al. (2009) are not published and are challenging to assess. Therefore, this is an official first record of A. conifera for the GoM, widening its distribution.

Figures

FIGURE 3. Agelas conifera (Schmidt, 1870) (CNPGG-2364), skeleton and spicules: A. transversal section of the skeleton; B. detail of the ectosomal region; C. detail of the choanosomal region; D. verticillated acanthostyles. Scale bars: A = 1000 µm; B–C = 200 µm; D = 100 µm.

FIGURE 16. In situ photographs of species analyzed in the present study: A. Agelas clathrodes (Schmidt, 1870) (CNPGG- 2297); B. Agelas conifera (Schmidt, 1870) (CNPGG-2373); C. Agelas dispar Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 (CNPGG-2007); D. Agelas schmidtii Wilson, 1902 (CNPGG-2285);E. Agelas sventres Lehnert & van Soest, 1996 (CNPGG-2285); F. Agelas wiedenmayeri Alcolado, 1984 (CNPGG-2476); G. Prosuberites carriebowensis Rützler, Piantoni, van Soest & Díaz, 2014 (CNPGG-2211); H. Ectyoplasia ferox (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (CNPGG-2407); I. Ectyoplasia ferox (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (CNPGG-2240); J. Dragmacidon reticulatum (Ridley & Dendy, 1886) (CNPGG-2283); K. Ptilocaulis walpersii (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (CNPGG-2171); L. Myrmekioderma rea (de Laubenfels, 1934) (CNPGG-2261); M. Neofibularia nolitangere (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (CNPGG-2206); N. Desmanthus meandroides van Soest & Hajdu, 2000 (CNPGG-2389); O. Cliona aprica Pang, 1973 (CNPGG-2298). Scale bars, A–O = 1 cm.