Mycale (Carmia) amiri, Van & Aryasari & De, 2021

Van, Rob W. M., Aryasari, Ratih & De, Nicole J., 2021, Mycale species of the tropical Indo-West Pacific (Porifera, Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida), Zootaxa 4912 (1), pp. 1-212 : 54-57

Mycale (Carmia) amiri sp.nov.

Figs 33 a–h, 34a–h

Material examined. Holotype ZMA Por. 09737, Indonesia, Sulawesi, SW Salayar, E of N point Pulau Bahuluang , 6.4667°S 120.4417°E, sea grass bed on coral branch, depth 0–2 m, snorkeling, coll. R. W.M. van Soest, Indonesian-Dutch Snellius II Expedition stat. 171, field nr. 171/18, 1 October 1984 (live color green).

Paratype ZMA Por. 06542, Indonesia, Sulawesi, SW Salayar, E of N point Pulau Bahuluang, 6.4667°S 120.4417°E, sea grass bed on coral branch, depth 0–2 m, snorkeling, coll . R. W.M. van Soest, Indonesian-Dutch Snellius II Expedition stat. 171, field nr. 171/04, 1 October 1984 (brown); paratype ZMA Por. 06544, Indonesia, Sulawesi, SW Salayar, E of N point Pulau Bahuluang, 6.4667°S 120.4417°E, sea grass bed on coral branch, depth 0–2 m, snorkeling, coll . R. W.M. van Soest, Indonesian-Dutch Snellius II Expedition stat. 171, field nr. 171/06, 1 October 1984 (yellow-green) ;

Non-type material: ZMA Por. 07966, Indonesia, Nusa Tenggara, NE coast of Sumba , E of Melolo, 9.9167°S 120.75°E, reef flat, depth 1–4 m, snorkeling, coll . R. W.M. van Soest, Indonesian-Dutch Snellius II Expedition stat. 052, field nr. 052 / II/05 , 14 September 1984 (dark brown) .

Description. Small crusts and patches on dead corals ( Figs 33a , 34a ), branching octocorals and other marine invertebrates. Surface microlobate, smooth, slimy. In preserved condition no visible openings. Live colors dark yellow green or brown. Size of individual patches dependent of substratum, 1–1.5 cm long, 0.5 cm thick. Consistency soft.

Skeleton ( Fig. 33b,b 1 ). Thin, lax tracts of megascleres, 30–60 µm in diameter (5–8 spicules in cross section) run through the choanosome ending at the surface with brushes of spicules. Overall, the skeleton has a low spicular density, except microscleres, which are abundant in the surface membrane and throughout the choanosome. Rosettes of anisochelae I are small (up to 75 µm diameter) and have only 5–8 spicules. The tissue of all specimens shows a dense mass of refractile granules. One specimen (ZMA Por. 07966) is packed with multicellular cyanobacteria ( Fig. 34h ).

Spicules ( Figs 33 c–h, 34b–g). Mycalostyles, three categories of anisochelae, and two categories of sigmas.

Mycalostyles ( Figs 33c,c 1 , 34b,b 1 ), thin, with barely developed elongate heads and pointed opposite ends, 205– 275.3 –351 x 2.5– 3.6 – 5 µm.

Anisochelae I ( Figs 33d,d 1 , 34c ), well-developed elongate shape, free part of the shaft 30–40% of spicule length, with upper median alae extended outward, lower median alae squarish, 24– 31.4 – 35 µm.

Anisochelae II ( Fig. 33e , 34d,d 1 ), similar to anisochelae I in shape, 16– 19.0 – 23 µm.

Anisochelae III ( Figs 27f , 28e ), reduced lateral alae, upper and lower median alae nearing each other, 9– 11.4 – 15 µm.

Sigma I ( Fig. 33g , 34f ), narrow-shaped, thickness 1.5–3 µm, asymmetrical, with incurved endings, 48– 56.5 – 66 µm.

Sigma II ( Fig. 33h , 34g ), thin, symmetrical, 12– 17.8 – 21 µm.

Distribution and ecology. Indonesia. In sea grass meadows and on reef flats, often on other marine invertebrates, down to 4 m.

Etymology. Named after the late Ichsan Amir, formerly of the Research and Development Centre for Oceanology, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, Jakarta, Indonesia, in recognition of his work on Indonesian sponges (cf. Amir 1992). Ichsan unfortunately died from an accident preventing him from pursuing his intended studies on the Indonesian sponge fauna.

Remarks. The specific features of the new species are the three categories of anisochelae and two of sigmas in combination with lack of toxas and trichodragmas and the abundance of refractile granules in the tissue.

We excluded ZMA Por. 07966 from the type material because of its dark brown live color and the possibly related presence of numerous multicellular cyanobacteriae. The lower alae of anisochelae III in this specimen are slightly different from those of the type specimens and sigma II appear more robust. Nevertheless, the tissue with refractile granules and the overall shape and size of the spicules is similar to the other three specimens, which were all from the same locality. The slight differences between the type material and ZMA Por. 07966 may be due to differences in habitat.

Figures

FIGURE 1. A. Numbers of available specimens for the present study from the collections of the Naturalis Biodiversity Center distributed over Indo-West Pacific Marine Ecoregions (MEOWS, cf. Spalding et al. 2007). B. Ditto for type specimens and additional specimens from other institutions consulted for this study.

FIGURE 27. Mycale (Arenochalina) regularis Wilson, 1925, a–d, ZMA Por. 02906 from Indonesia, a, preserved fragment (scale bar = 1 cm), b–d, SEM images of the spicules, b, mycalostyle, b1, details of mycalostyle, c, anisochela, d, sigma, e, habitus in situ of RMNH Por. 3928 from Rajah Ampat, (West) Papua (photo W. Renema), f, habitus in situ of unregistered specimen from Papua New Guinea (photo M.C. Díaz).

FIGURE 28. Mycale (Arenochalina) euplectellioides Row, 1911 and M. (Ar.) regularis Wilson, 1925, approximate distribution of specimens studied (squares) and literature records (dots); blue = M. (Ar.) euplectellioides, red = M. (Ar.) regularis. Squares and dots may represent several close collecting localities.

FIGURE 33. Mycale (Carmia) amiri sp.nov., holotype ZMA Por. 09737 from Indonesia, a, preserved habitus (scale bar = 1 cm), b, light microscopic image of cross section, b1, ditto twice enlarged, c–h, SEM images of spicules, c, mycalostyle, c1, details of mycalostyle, d, anisochela I in front view, d1, ditto in side view, e, anisochela II, f, anisochelae III, g, sigma I, h, sigma II (both sigmas in same magnification).

FIGURE 34. Mycale (Carmia) amiri sp.nov., ZMA Por. 07966 (non-type) from Indonesia, a, preserved habitus (scale bar = 1 cm), b–h, SEM images of spicules, b, mycalostyle, b1, details of mycalostyle, c, anisochela I in front view, d, anisochela II in side view, d1, anisochela II in front view, e, anisochelae III, f, sigma I, g, sigma II (both sigmas in same magnification), h, light microscopic view of surface showing thin tracts, rosette of anisochela I, sigmas, and a dense mass of filamentous cyanobacteria.