Haliclona (Flagellia) hajdui, Van Soest, 2017

Van Soest, Rob W. M., 2017, Flagellia, a new subgenus of Haliclona (Porifera, Haplosclerida), European Journal of Taxonomy 351, pp. 1-48 : 32-35

Haliclona (Flagellia) hajdui subgen. et sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:7F505002-4332-4C79-BCD7-5E3CDEF3A1AB

Figs 15–16

Desmacella sp. – Schmidt 1870: 53, Pl. V fig. 15.

Haliclona (Gellius) aff. flagellifera – Van Soest 2017: 27 , figs 16a–e.

Etymology

The specific epithet refers to professor Eduardo Hajdu (Museu Nacional de Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) in recognition of his many contributions to our knowledge of the sponge fauna of South America.

Material examined

Holotype

SURINAME: ‘ Luymes O.C.P.S. II’ Guyana Shelf Expedition, station M97, 7.3083° N, 54.1667° W, depth 130 m, bottom coarse sand, 16 Apr. 1969 ( RMNH Por. 9921).

Paratypes

SURINAME: same collection data as for holotype ( RMNH Por. 9783, 9851).

Description

Encrusting to irregular lamellar with oscular lobes ( Fig. 15 A–C). The three samples were obtained from the same station, but some were fragmented into small cm-sized pieces making it difficult to describe the overall shape in more detail. The specimen chosen as the holotype is basically an oscular lobe of 1.5–2 cm high and wide, with an oscule of 3 mm in diameter, the paratypes are fragments, partially overgrowing dead parts of associated organisms, including sponges. The surface is irregular, punctate. The color (in alcohol) ranges from shades of pinkish light or darker brown. The consistency is soft and fragile.

SKELETON ( Fig. 15D ). The choanosome shows a loose reticulation of ascending tracts which have 2–3 spicules in cross section, and interconnecting single spicules, but overall the skeleton is confused without binding spongin. The surface skeleton is unispicular, but is discontinuous where there are large subdermal spaces. In places microscleres are crowding the spaces between the spicules, with normal sigmas the most common.

OXEAS ( Fig. 16 A–A1). Slightly curved, elongate-fusiform, 226– 319 –358 × 11– 12. 7 –14 μm.

FLAGELLOSIGMAS ( Fig. 16 B–D). Predominantly elliptical, with a large difference in length between the long and short endings, in a single widely variable size category. Long endings predominantly upturned with sharply bent curvature, occasionally with short straight curvature, short endings deeply and rather narrowly curved. Length of long endings 66– 106 –159 μm, of short endings 42– 75 –86 μm, width 40– 63 –81 μm, thickness 1.5– 2. 4 –3.5 μm.

NORMAL SIGMAS ( Fig. 16E ). Symmetrical, with slightly incurving apices, 42– 53. 6 –72 × 2– 2. 1 –2.5 μm.

1

2

Distribution and ecology

Collected on the upper continental slope off Suriname at a depth of 130 m (Marine Ecoregion Guianan). If Schmidt’s report of Desmacella spec. is conspecific then it is likely to occur elsewhere in deeper water in the Greater Caribbean.

Remarks

The new species has characteristically elliptic flagellosigmas which also have upturned long endings. They resemble the drawing of the flagellosigma of a specimen from Kerguelen (cf. Boury-Esnault & Van Beveren 1992), assigned probably erroneously to Haliclona (Gellius) flagellifera . Other aspects (oxea size and sigma sizes) are quite different, so close relationship is not likely.

Van Soest (2017) mentioned the presence of this species in a another northern South American locality, off the coast of Caribbean Colombia. However, after careful comparison of this material (ZMA Por. 21962) it is not very likely that it belongs to this species, as the flagellosigmas are shaped differently. Instead, this specimen is considered an unnamed Haliclona (Flagellia) to be described fully if and when sufficient material is obtained.

Furthermore, Van Soest (2017) repeated earlier records of Haliclona (Flagellia) from the Turneffe Islands, Belize, made by Van Soest (1980) and De Weerdt (2000) based on undescribed material in the Natural History Museum, London. Brief notes on this material do not allow unequivocal assignment of it to any of the species treated here.

Figures

Fig. 15. Haliclona (Flagellia) hajdui subgen. et sp. nov., from the Guyana Shelf, off Suriname. A. Habitus of holotype (RMNH Por. 9921). B. Habitus of paratype (RMNH Por. 9851). C. Habitus of paratype (RMNH Por. 9783). D. Light microscopic image of surface skeleton of holotype (RMNH Por. 9921), showing scattered flagellosigmas and sigmas. Scale bars = 1 mm.

Fig. 16. Haliclona (Flagellia) hajdui subgen. et sp. nov., from the Guyana Shelf, off Suriname, holotype, SEM images of spicules (RMNH Por. 9921).A. Oxea. A 1. Detailof one of theapices.B–D. Flagellosigmas. C . Detail of long ending of flagellosigma. C . Detail of short ending of flagellosigma. E. Sigmas.