Ptilocaulis walpersii ( Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 )

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 : 18-19

Ptilocaulis walpersii ( Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)

Tables 6, 7; Figs. 11A–C , 16K

Synonymy and references: Pandaros walpersii Duchassaing & Michelotti (1864: 90) , and Muricy et al. (2011: 91; Ptilocaulis gracilis: Carter (1883: 321) ; Axinella appressa: Verril (1907: 340) ; Axinella rudis, Verril (1907: 341) ; Pseudoaxinella rosacea: de Laubenfels (1950: 87) ; Homxinella rudis: de Laubenfels (1953: 531) ; Axinella ramosa: Burton (1954: 229) ; Ptilocaulis walpersii: Alvarez et al. (1998: 22) , Rützler et al. (2009: 299), Hajdu et al. (2011: 172), Muricy et al. (2011: 91), Rützler et al. (2014: 71), and Pérez et al. (2017: 11).

Type locality. St. Thomas .

Material examined. CNPGG-2171, Cayo Arcas reef (20.1949°N, - 91.9574°W), 10 m depth, coll. Diana Ugal- de, 25 April 2018 ; CNPGG-2217, Cayo Arcas reef (20.1996°N, - 91.9668°W), 4 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 22 August 2018 ; CNPGG-2300, Banco Obispo Norte reef (20.4985°N, - 92.2048°W), 17 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 13 September 2017 ; CNPGG-2366, Banco Nuevo reef (20.5485°N, - 91.8061°W), 20 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 15 September 2017 .

Description. Upright digitiform shape ( Fig.16K ), slightly laterally compressed or forming erect branches. Specimens with a wide range of sizes 4–6– 10 cm long, 1.5–2 cm branch diameter. Surface corrugated and irregular. Oscules not visible. Bright orange color in vivo, light orange preserved in ethanol. Consistency firm and elastic, not compressible.

Skeleton. Anisotropic skeleton formed by well-developed fascicles or primary fibers, interconnected by short tracts ( Fig.11A ). Fascicle endings have a plumose-like arrangement of spicules, with points protruding outside the surface. Mesh diameter of 275–380 µm.

Spicules. Megascleres: styles slightly curved with hastate tip in two categories ( Figs. 11B–C ), mainly short styles. Styles I: 180– 273 (35.7)–340/4– 12.4 (3.1)–16.8 µm, Styles II: 400– 596.2 (79.6)–680/9– 11.1 (1.19)–12.2 µm.

Distribution. Mexico ( Maas-Vargas 2004; current records), Bermuda, US (Florida) , other countries in the Caribbean Sea ( Alvarez et al. 1998; Rützler et al. 2014), Brazil ( Hajdu et al. 2011).

Remarks. The present work is the first record of Ptilocaulis walpersii in the SGoM, widening its geographic distribution. The species has been found in three different coral reefs in the Campeche Bank and recorded in Quintana Roo reefs ( Maas-Vargas 2004). The present material has styles I slightly smaller than those reported by Alvarez et al. (1998) 260–400 × 5–15 µm, and Rützler et al. (2014) 340–450 × 10–18 µm. However, they are within the known length range for the species. This small variation might be ecophenotypical.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Ptilocaulis walpersii (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (CNPGG-2300), skeleton and spicules: A. transversal section of skeleton; B-C. large and small styles I and II. Scale bars: A = 500 µm; B–C = 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.