Topsentia ophiraphidites (de Laubenfels, 1934 )

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 : 66-67

Topsentia ophiraphidites (de Laubenfels, 1934)

Tables 6, 7; Figs. 61A–C , 70D–F

Synonymy: Viles ophiraphidites de Laubenfels (1934: 13) ; Halichondria sp. , Halichondria braziliensis , Spongosorites sinuatus , Topsentia roquensis and Viles ophiraphidites : see references compiled in Muricy et al. (2011: 95); Topsentia ophiraphidites: Hajdu et al. (2011: 130) , Muricy et al. (2011: 95), Rützler et al. (2014: 76), and van Soest (2017: 186).

Type locality. Puerto Rico .

Material examined. CNPGG-2185, Cayo Arcas reef (20.19491°N, 91.95741°W), 7.4 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 18 August 2018 ; CNPGG-2196, Cayo Arcas reef (20.19566°N, 91.95997°W), 6.7 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 20 August 2018 ; CNPGG-2262, CNPGG-2265, Triangulo Oeste reef (20.95629°N, 92.30860°W), 7.1– 8.3 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 10 September 2017 ; CNPGG-2354, CNPGG-2355, Banco Obispo Sur reef (20.42059°N, 92.22865°W), 12 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 14 September 2017 ; CNPGG-2356, CNPGG-2360, Banco Obispo Sur reef (20.42345°N, 92.22743°W), 9 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 14 September 2017 ; CNPGG- 2368, CNPGG-2371, Banco Nuevo reef (20.54857°N, 91.80611°W), 20 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 15 September 2017 ; CNPGG-2415, Isla Verde (19.19844°N, 96.19844°W), 6 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 28 August 2018 .

Description. Massive habit, globular or erect ( Figs. 70D–F ), overall sponge size 8 × 6 × 6 cm. The surface is smooth and velvety. Scattered oscules. Yellow-brown color in vivo, white inside, and it turned light brown in ethanol. The consistency is firm, slightly compressible, but friable.

Skeleton. Choanosomal skeleton halichondrioid type. Oxeas arranged in bundles that protrude to the surface ( Fig. 61A–B ).

Spicules. Megascleres: Oxeas I ( Fig. 61C – 1 ), sinuous, bent, fusiform, and smooth ( Fig. 61C ); 1496– 1906.8 (304.5)–2337.8/37– 45.6 (9.5)–55.8 µm. Oxeas II ( Fig. 61C – 2 ), intermediate oxeas; similar to the previous category, but smaller and some forms are crooked; 598– 795.9 (186.3)–1072/14.6– 17.8 (3.3)–23 µm. Oxeas III ( Fig. 61C – 3 ), similar to intermediate oxeas, but smaller; 350– 473.8 (98.2)–592/7.7– 8.9 (1.1)–10 µm.

Distribution. Mexico ( Gómez 2011; current records), Barbados, other countries in the Caribbean Sea, Guyana, Brazil ( Diaz et al. 1993; van Soest 2017).

Remarks. The distinctive characters of Topsentia includes the presence of oxeas in a wide range of sizes, usually with two or three size categories, which can be twisted, bent, or double-bent ( Díaz et al. 1993). These oxeas represent a remarkable trait to T. ophiraphidites . This species was reviewed by Díaz et al. (1993), who have described specimens from the Caribbean region with massive-amorphous habit (sometimes subspherical to lobate), gray, brown or purple color (externally), confused skeleton (some vague radial arrangement of large spicules toward the surface), two to three sizes of bent or sinuous deformed oxeas to strongyloxeas (600–1100/15–40, 350–800/6–20, 160–400/4–10). The specimens examined by us are predominantly lobate to irregularly massive (CNPGG-2185, CNPGG-2262, CNPGG-2265, CNPGG-2354, CNPGG-2355, CNPGG-2356, CNPGG-2360, CNPGG-2368, CNP- GG-2371, CNPGG-2415), except for one erect sample (CNPGG-2196). Color is yellow-brown externally, the skeleton is confused, and oxeas occur in three categories (1496–2337.8/37–55.8, 598–1072/14.6–23, 350–592/7.7–10), with intermediary and especially smaller oxeas being contorted or crooked.

Although T. ophiraphidites is reported from several localities in the Caribbean ( Díaz et al. 1993), the first record of the species for the GoM is that to La Blanquilla reef, Veracruz ( Gómez 2011: without description). Our study presents the second record of the species from the GoM. Besides, our study recorded the species along the different coral reefs in Veracruz and Campeche Bank, confirming that T. ophiraphidites is a common inhabitant of the GoM. Further, this species is widely distributed in the western Atlantic, occurring also in the Northeast and Southeast, and oceanic islands of Brazil ( Muricy et al. 2011; and other references therein).

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 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 61. Topsentia ophiraphidites (de Laubenfels, 1934) (CNPGG-2262), skeleton and spicules: A. transversal section of the skeleton; B. detail of the ectosomal and choansomal regions; C. oxeas: 1—oxeas I, 2—oxeas II, 3—oxeas III. Scale bars: A–C = 500 µm.

FIGURE 70. In situ photographs of species analyzed in the present study: A. Svenzea tubulosa (Alcolado & Gotera, 1986), B. Svenzea zeai (Alvarez, van Soest & Rützler, 1998) (CNPGG-2284); C. Hymeniacidon caerulea Pulitzer-Finali, 1986 (CNPGG- 2425); D. Topsentia ophiraphidites (de Laubenfels, 1934) (CNPGG-2185); E. Topsentia ophiraphidites (de Laubenfels, 1934) (CNPGG-2262); F. Topsentia ophiraphidites (de Laubenfels, 1934) (CNPGG-2415); G. Tectitethya crypta de Laubenfels, 1949 (CNPGG-2176); H. Tectitethya macrostella Sarà & Bavestrello, 1996 (CNPGG-2277); I. Tethya diploderma Schmidt, 1870 (CNPGG-2191); J. Timea stenosclera Hechtel, 1969 (CNPGG-2275); K. Timea stenosclera Hechtel, 1969 (CNPGG-2358), surface detail zoomed in (arrow indicates a specimen of Chalinula aff. molitba); L. Stellettinopsis megastylifera (Wintermann- Kilian & Kilian, 1984) (CNPGG-2446); M. Geodia gibberosa Lamarck, 1815 (CNPGG-2291); N. Geodia neptuni (Sollas, 1886) (CNPGG-2439). Scale bars, A–N = 1 cm.