Porifera from Ponta do Ouro (Mozambique) Author Calcinai, Barbara C16E9433-A532-470E-B9A6-7FE9B9F4FEC3 Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy. b.calcinai@staff.univpm.it Author Belfiore, Giuseppe D26DFB86-3168-4B13-915A-D19B025143F4 Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy. gbelf89@hotmail.it Author Pica, Daniela 67CA8471-D9AE-414B-802E-7858C6B49C62 Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy. daniela.pica@gmail.com Author Torsani, Fabrizio 79D7D36F-1A9B-4D43-B2A1-B671719F2D93 Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy. f.torsani@univpm.it Author Palma, Marco 96B40C66-6E70-45D6-A065-0BCEF4565A64 Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy. 2marco.palma@gmail.com Author Cerrano, Carlo C1E63119-46EC-456A-BB00-824293B00828 Dipartimento di Scienze della Vita e dell’Ambiente, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona, Italy. c.cerrano@staff.univpm.it text European Journal of Taxonomy 2020 2020-08-06 698 1 56 journal article 10.5852/ejt.2020.698 be802d18-f06f-4e22-9856-8b037f21ca52 2118-9773 3978511 623BBCE3-12A5-45A9-802A-2ED2E15164A3 Phoriospongia mozambiquensis Calcinai & Belfiore sp. nov. urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: 95AFED42-6EA0-471E-95BE-B805C4A31B27 Fig. 19 , Table 3 Diagnosis A red species of Phoriospongia characterized by styles with stepped tips, C and S-shaped sigmas, and isochelae. Etymology The specific name is derived from type locality. Material examined Holotype PONTA DO OUROfragment about 2× 2× 2 cm ; 26°49′50.408″ S , 32°53′45.97″ E ; Doodle; 17 m deep; 7 Feb. 2017 ; Cerrano leg.; MSNG 61420 . Description The live sponge ( Fig. 19A ) is irregularly massive, bright red and covered by algal turf. The fragment preserved in alcohol changed the color to grey, with an uneven surface. It is very hard and friable and rich in sediments. SKELETON. The ectosome and the choanosome are almost completely constituted by columns of grains, with scattered spicules among the foreign bodies. SPICULES. Styles ( Fig. 19 B–C) with stepped tips, 260–(294.5, 24.2)–340 μm×2.5–(2.8, 0.8)–5 μm; C- and S-shaped sigmas ( Fig 19D ), 28–(37.2)–42 μm; arcuate isochelae ( Fig. 19E ), 9–(12.5)–14 μm. Remarks This sponge belongs to the genus Phoriospongia , which is characterized by “skeletal columns cored by styles and foreign material [...]; sigmas usually present” ( Van Soest 2002 ). Fig. 19. Phoriospongia mozambiquensis Calcinai & Belfiore sp. nov. A . The holotype MSNG 61420 in situ . B . Style. C . Magnifications of the tips. D . C- and S-shaped sigmas. E . Arcuate isochela. Table 3. Species of the genus Phoriospongia Marshall, 1880 ; characteristics based on the original descriptions.
Species Author Distribution Shape Megascleres Size (μm) Microscleres Size (μm)
P. arenifibrosa (Dendy, 1896) Australia “Broken” “Not measured” Isochelae 16
P. argentea (Marshall, 1880) Australia Massive Styles 80
P. caniculata Lendenfeld, 1889 Australia Oxeas 160 × 4 Sigmas 47
P. carcinophila ( Lendenfeld, 1889 ) Australia Two sizes of strongyles 200 × 1 and 200 × 2
P. flabellopalmata (Carter, 1885) Australia Styles 270 × 4 Raphids
P. levis Lendenfeld, 1888 Australia Strongyles 100 × 1 Sigmas 30
P. mammilata ( Lendenfeld, 1888 ) Australia Strongyles 250 × 6
P. papillosa (Lamarck, 1815) Australia No macrosleres
P. poni (de Laubenfels, 1950) Hawaii Strongyles; oxeas; styles 90 × 5; 120 × 5; 120 × 5 Raphids 90 × 0.5
P. reticulum Marshall, 1880 Australia Tylostyles Sigmas 50
P. solida Marshall, 1880 Australia Massive Tylostyles 200–300 Sigmas 40
P. squalida ( Lendenfeld, 1888 ) Australia
P. syringiana (Whitelegge, 1906) Australia Branching Strongyles 130–150 × 5.5 Sigmas, chelae “Various”
The genus Phoriospongia Marshall, 1880 includes 13 species, all with an Indo-Pacific Ocean distribution, mainly from Australia ( Van Soest et al. 2019 ). Due to the nature of the skeleton and to the capacity of the sponge to incorporate foreign bodies, it is difficult to clearly detect the skeleton organization, and most of the original descriptions are inadequate ( Table 3 ). Phoriospongia arenifibrosa (Dendy, 1896) differs from this new species due to the absence of megascleres and to the morphology (erect, palmo-digitate sponge). Phoriospongia argentea (Marshall, 1880) has shorter styles (80 μm) and does not have any microscleres. Phoriospongia canaliculata Lendenfeld, 1889 has oxeas instead of styles. Phoriospongia reticulum (Marshall, 1880) and P. solida Marshall, 1880 differ in the possession of tylostyles. Phoriospongia flabellopalmata (Carter, 1885) shows a smooth and even surface, with longer styles and raphides as microscleres. Phoriospongia carcinophila ( Lendenfeld, 1889 ) , P. levis Lendenfeld, 1888 , P. mammillata ( Lendenfeld, 1888 ) and P. syringiana (Whitelegge, 1906) have different megascleres, i.e., strongyles instead of styles. The description of P. papillosa (Lamarck, 1815) is inadequate and neither megascleres nor microscleres are reported. Phoriospongia poni (De Laubenfeld, 1950) , described from the Hawaii Islands, has three kinds of megascleres, i.e., oxeas, strongyles and styles. In the original description, P. squalida Lendenfeld, 1888 , spicules are not described and, moreover, the sponge is reported as erect and tubular. Considering the affinities between Phoriospongia and Chondropsis , the species of the latter genus have been used for a comparison, but none was found to fit the new species from Mozambique ( Table 2 ).