New shallow-water sponges (Porifera) from the Galápagos Islands
Sim-Smith, Carina
Hickman, Cleveland
Kelly, Michelle
Zootaxa
2021
2021-08-02
5012
1
1
71
8NFLP
Sim-Smith & Hickman & Kelly, 2021
Sim-Smith & Hickman & Kelly
2021
[151,475,1302,1329]
Demospongiae
Thorectidae
Cacospongia
Animalia
Dictyoceratida
8
9
Porifera
species
hermanorum
sp. nov.
( Fig. 4)
Material examined. Holotype—MCCDRS9434, Los Hermanos Islands, 0.867° S, 90.782° W, 6 m, 3 Feb 2004. Typelocality. Los Hermanos Islands. Habitat and distribution.Only known from the typelocality.
Description.A flattened, cushion-shaped sponge, 50 mmlong × 40 mmwide × 15 mmthick ( Fig. 4A, C). Surface is finely conulose, with conules around 1 mmhigh. The conules are formed by collagen fibrils that protrude beyond the surface of the sponge, coming together to form the apex of the conules ( Fig. 4B). A few small, inconspicuous oscules, 1–2 mmin diameter, are present on the upper surface of the sponge. The surface is densely punctate below the surface reticulation of fibres. Texture is very firm and harsh, easily torn. Colour in life and ethanol is blackish brown, interior is tan. Skeleton.The skeleton is a well-developed, irregular reticulation of concentrically laminated, yellow-brown fibres that are slightly fasciculated just below the surface ( Fig. 4D, F). Primary fibres are lightly cored with foreign spicules ( Fig. 4E); 70–140 µm in diameter and separated by a distance of 400–1300 µm. Secondary fibres are uncored, 30–100 µm in diameter. They typically form polygonal meshes that are 80–700 µm in size. Foreign spicules are lightly scattered throughout the choanosome, being more common at the surface of the sponge.
Etymology.Named for the typelocality, Los Hermanos Islands in the GalápagosArchipelago.
Remarks. Desqueyroux-Faúndez and Van Soest (1997)described two species of Cacospongiafrom the Galápagos Islands, C. similis Thiele 1905and C. incognita Desqueyroux-Faúndez and Van Soest, 1997, both of which have subsequently been transferred to the genus Scalarispongiadue to their regular, ladder-like reticulation of fibres. Scalarispongia similis( Thiele 1905)also has much thinner primary (40–70 µm) and secondary (30–40 µm) fibres than C. hermanorum sp. nov. Scalarispongia incognitahas similar sized primary (120–150 µm) and secondary fibres (50–100 µm) to C. hermanorum sp. nov., but S. incognitahas a thick organic, heavily pigmented ectosomal membrane, and a creamy white interior. FIGURE 4. Cacospongia hermanorum sp. nov.,holotype, MCCDRS9434: A.Holotype, deck photo. B.Close up of the surface of the holotype, deck photo. C.Cut side view of the holotype, preserved. D.Vertical cross section showing the fibres that protrude through the surface of the sponge and the well-developed fibre reticulation. E.A primary fibre cored with foreign spicules (white arrow) and uncored secondary fibres (black arrow). F.Cross section of a fibre showing the concentric laminations. Subclass Heteroscleromorpha Cárdenas, Pérez & Boury-Esnault Order Haplosclerida Topsent
[391,1404,1410,1437]
2004-02-03
6
-0.867
Los Hermanos Islands
78
-90.782
8
9
1
holotype
[199,618,1446,1473]
Los Hermanos Islands
8
9
1
holotype