Suberites chujaensis, Kim & Sim, 2021

Kim, Young A & Sim, Chung Ja, 2021, Ten new species of families Suberitidae and Polymastiidae (Demospongia: Heteroscleromorpha) from Korea, Journal of Species Research 10 (2), pp. 168-183 : 172-173

5. Suberites chujaensis n. sp. ( Fig. 6 )

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Type specimen. Holotype (NIBRIV0000879328), Korea: Chujado, Chuja-myeon, Jeju-si , Jeju-do, 9 Oct 2012, Kim HS, by SCUBA, depth 25 m, deposited in NIBR.

Description. Thick, irregular elliptical mass sponge, size up to 13 × 6 × 2.5 cm. Surface with numerous protruding small bumps, not papillae. Oscules open on the surface, 1-2 mm in diameter. Color in life orange red. Texture firm and incompressible.

Skeleton: Irregular arrangement of spicules mixed with dense collagen. Tylostyles, 500-700 μm and long tylostyles, partly curved or flexuous shape.

Etymology. The species name, chujaensis, is named after the type locality of Chujado, Jeju-si, Jeju-do.

Remarks. The plate-like shape of this new species is similar to Suberites hataedoensis Shim and Sim 2008 , but differs in thickness of sponge body and roughness of surface. S. hataedoensis has numerous oscules at the surface and the body thickness is less than the new species.

Figures

Fig. 6. Suberites chujaensis n. sp. A, external morphology; B, underside of sponge; C, tylostyles; D, flexus spicules; E, velvety brush-like surface spicules; F, choanosome spicules. Scale bars: A=1.6 cm, B=2 cm, C, D, F=50μm, E=100 μm.