Tubella delicata

Nicacio, Gilberto & Pinheiro, Ulisses, 2015, Biodiversity of freshwater sponges (Porifera: Spongillina) from northeast Brazil: new species and notes on systematics, Zootaxa 3981 (2), pp. 220-240 : 234-235

Tubella delicata (Bonetto & Ezcurra de Drago, 1967)

( Figure 10 )

Trochospongilla delicata Bonetto & Ezcurra de Drago, 1967b: 159 (in part); Kilian & Wintermann-Kilian 1976: 82, De Rosa- Barbosa 1980: 90, De Rosa-Barbosa 1984: 130, Ezcurra de Drago 1993: 120, Batista et al. 2003: 530, Batista et al. 2007: 620.

Material studied. UFPEPOR1297, Pirangi River, Jaqueira, Pernambuco, Brazil, 08°44'53,0"S 35°48'51,1"W, coll. U. Pinheiro, 23.v.2012.

General morphology. Encrusting sponge thin, surface hispid ( Fig. 10 a). Colour green. Consistency of live sponges fragile to moderately soft. Spicules. Megascleres oxeas (210–276/9–12µm), smooth, straight to slightly curved ( Fig. 10 b,c). Microscleres absent. Gemmuloscleres birotules (21–30µm), smooth slender shaft (1,5–4µm), equal rotules (9–21µm) with uncut/entire margins ( Fig. 10 d-f). Gemmules are tiny hemispherical averaging 240µm in diameter and are scattered in the sponge body. Gemmular theca made by thin layer consisting of spongin, where gemmuloscleres are embedded tangentially ( Fig. 10 g).

Distribution and ecological notes. Brazil ( Muricy et al. 2011); Argentina (Bonetto & Ezcurra de Drago 1967b, Volkmer-Ribeiro & De Rosa-Barbosa 1972). Specimens were found on rocky substrate in running waters.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Tubella delicata: (a) UFPEPOR 1297 specimen in situ, (b-c) megascleres, (d – f) gemmuloscleres, (g) gemmule. Scale bars: a— 1 cm, b, c 100 µm, d-f 20 µm, g 100 µm.