Cinachyrella kuekenthali ( Uliczka, 1929 )

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 : 80-81

Cinachyrella kuekenthali ( Uliczka, 1929)

Tables 6, 7; Figs. 73A–H , 79C

Synonymy and references: Cinachyra kükenthali Uliczka (1929: 44) , Muricy et al. (2011: 169), and Fernandez et al. (2018: 56)); Cinachyra schistospiculosa , Cinachyra (Cinachyrella) kukenthali , Cinachyrella kukenthali , Uliczka schistospiculosa : see references compiled in Muricy et al. (2011: 169), and Fernandez et al. (2018: 56); Cinachyrella kuekenthali: Gómez (2002: 70) , Hajdu et al. (2011: 65), Muricy et al. (2011: 168), Rützler et al. (2009: 295), Rützler et al. (2014: 18), van Soest (2017: 112), and Fernandez et al. (2018: 56), Gómez & Calderón-Gutiérrez (2020: 138); Craniella corticata and Cinachyrella aff. kuekenthali: Fernandez et al. (2018: 56) .

Type locality. St. Thomas ( US Virgin Islands) .

Material examined. CNPGG-1351, Alacranes reef (22.3864°N, 89.6801°W), 9 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 19 February 2012 ; CNPGG-2190, Cayo Arcas reef (20.20512°N, 91.96305°W), 0.5 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 19 August 2018 ; CNPGG-2427, Cabezo reef (19.09752°N, 95.85616°W), 9.5 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 29 August 2018 .

Description. Spherical habit ( Fig. 79C ); overall size 1.8 cm in diameter by 1.2 cm high. The surface is hispid with a few porocalices scattered, 0.2 cm diameter. The color in vivo is yellow and beige preserved in ethanol. The consistency is slightly compressible.

Skeleton. Compact radial skeleton formed by tracts of oxeas ( Figs.73A–B ). Cladomes of triaenes that reinforce the main tracts of oxeas protruding outside the surface. Sigmaspires throughout the whole skeleton.

Spicules. Megascleres: Large oxeas, straight, fusiform, and smooth ( Fig. 73 C 1 ); 1595.5– 1865.9 (278.4)– 2112/14– 19.2 (6.4)–27.4 µm. Small oxeas, straight, fusiform, and smooth ( Fig. 73 C 2 ); 850– 881.7 (27.6)–901/10– 10.1 (0.1)–10.2 µm. Large protriaenes, with broken rhabdomes (length was not measured; Fig. 73 E–F ); 7.6– 9.6 (2.7)–12.7 µm thick. Clads; 75.4– 90.4 (19.6)–112.6/4.8– 6.2 (1.8)–8.2 µm. Anatriaene (n = 1; Fig. 73G ), broken rhabdomes (length was not measured); 5 µm thick. Clads; 10/6 µm. Microscleres ( Fig. 73H ): Microxeas, straight and microespined ( Fig. 73D ); 100– 106 (5.3)–110/4.5–5 (0.5)–5.5 µm. Sigmaspires (Fig. H), 8– 9.6 (1.4)–12 µm in length.

Distribution. Mexico ( Gómez 2002; Gómez & Calderón-Gutiérrez 2020; current records), Bahamas, US (North Carolina, Florida), Cuba, other countries in the Caribbean Sea, and Brazil ( Cárdenas et al. 2009).

Remarks. The distribution of C. kuekenthali is similar to that of C. apion , ranging from the GoM to Brazil ( Rützler & Smith 1992; Rützler et al. 2009; Hajdu et al. 2011; Muricy et al. 2011; Fernandez et al. 2018). However, C. kuekenthali is also known from deeper waters, down to 100 m in Brazil ( Fernandez et al. 2018). It also inhabits Mexican caves, such as the anchialine cave La Quebrada, in Quintana Roo ( Gómez & Calderón-Gutiérrez 2020). Our material has the same set of spicules of known specimens of C. kuekenthali ( Rützler & Smith 1992; Hajdu et al. 2011; Fernandez et al. 2018). However, triaenes were rare, and microxeas were not abundant in our material.

Subclass Keratosa Grant, 1861

Order Dendroceratida Minchin, 1900

Figures

FIGURE 1. Map of sampling localities explored in this study in the southern Gulf of Mexico. The localities include 16 coral reefs from Veracruz to Campeche Bank and one station in the Chelem lagoon in Yucatan Peninsula.

FIGURE 2. Agelas clathrodes (Schmidt, 1870) (CNPGG-2297), skeleton and spicules:A. transversal section of the skeleton; B. detail of the ectosomal region, upper side; C. verticillated acanthostyles. Scale bars: A = 500 µm; B = 100 µm; C = 50 µm.

FIGURE 73. Cinachyrella kuekenthali (Uliczka, 1929) (CNPGG-2190), skeleton and spicules: A. transversal section of the skeleton; B. detail of the ectosomal region; C. oxeas, 1―large size category and 2―small size category, the arrow pointing to a protriaene; D. spined microxeas; E–F. protriaenes; G. anatriaene; H. sigmaspires. Scale bars: A, C = 500 µm; B, E–F = 100 µm; D = 50 µm; G = 5 µm; H = 10 µm.

FIGURE 79. In situ photographs of species analyzed in the present study: A. Erylus formosus Sollas, 1886 (CNPGG-2202); B. Cinanchyrella apion (Uliczka, 1929) (CNPGG-2189); C. Cinanchyrella kuekenthali (Uliczka, 1929) (CNPGG-2190); D. Igernella notabilis (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (CNPGG-2234); E. Dysidea etheria de Laubenfels, 1936 (CNPGG-2199); F. Ircinia strobilina (Lamarck, 1816) (not collected) G. Ircinia strobilina (Lamarck, 1816) (CNPGG-2263); H. Hyattella cavernosa (Pallas, 1766) (CNPGG-2260); I. Spongia (S.) obscura Hyatt, 1877 (CNPGG-2177). Scale bars, A–H = 1 cm.