Latrunculia (Biannulata) duckworthi Alvarez et al., 2002

Samaai, Toufiek, Gibbons, Mark J. & Kelly, Michelle, 2006, Revision of the genus Latrunculia du Bocage, 1869 Porifera: Demospongiae: Latrunculiidae) with descriptions of new species from New Caledonia and the Northeastern Pacific (, Zootaxa 1127 (1), pp. 1-71 : 60-62

Latrunculia (Biannulata) duckworthi Alvarez et al., 2002

(Figs 6C, 7, 8F, 10A; Tables 2 & 3)

Latrunculia duckworthi Alvarez et al., 2002 , PG. 161, FIG. 3A, 4

Holotype material. Not examined NZOI H­794 (99 TKI2­32 ) [ NIWA collection­station and locality data details are outlined in Appendix 1, Alvarez et al. (2002)].

Other Material examined. NZNM POR 607 (cross ref. Ts 105) unidentified sponge in NZM collection, Three Kings Islands, New Zealand, 34º 16.6'S, 172º 15.7'E, depth 133 m, collected 02/02/1981 by R. V. Tangaroa . NMNZ Ikatere 20 (Ts 109), Off Cape Kari Kari, New Zealand, 73 54.0­52.0'S, 177 44.0­ 46.0W, depth 46 m, collected by Bergquist, 12/6/1965 .

Diagnosis. Massive to thickly encrusting sometimes covered with scattered papillae and encircled by small raised areolate porefields or lying flush with the rim ( Fig. 8F). Colour in life chocolate brown; in preservative, dark brown. Styles are fusiform and slightly sinuous 348 (260–391) x 7 (4–10) m, n=20. Anisodiscorhabds have an expanded spinose manubrium (Fig. 6C). There is also no basal whorl of spines present above the manubrium as characteristic for this subgenus. In some spicules, spines above the manubrium are visible, but they are very rudimentary. Median whorl horizontally arranged, similar in diameter to the subsidiary whorl. The subsidiary whorl is more or less wing­like to the shaft and directly above median whorl. The whorls of spines are semifused and are not deeply notched along the rim, but segments are visible, each segment possessing denticulate margins of 5–7 spines. The denticulate margins of the subsidiary and median whorls are microspined, and the apical whorl and manubrium are smooth, 37 (33–42) x 7 (5–8) m, n=20. The choanosomal skeleton is a firm, dense, irregular polygonal­meshed reticulation with meshes that are often circular to oval in some places (10A). The sponge which are found on vertical to steeply sloping rock faces, always in shade, together with other sponges and invertebrates; depth range 2–15 m, but abundant between 5 and 7 m in areas of extreme surge (after Alvarez et al. 2002).

Geographic distribution ( Fig. 7 ). New Zealand (North Island)

Remark. One of the most distinctive characters in defining species boundaries in the Latrunculia complex is the shape of the discorhabd. Evidently, cryptic species may be

problematic in differentiating as evident from the discovery of at least eight New Species from New Zealand by Miller et al. (2002) and Alvarez et al. (2002). One of these cryptic species, a brown colour morph, known as L. duckworthi , has a sympatric occurrence with L. kaakaariki . The species seems to be close to L. kaikoura (see below). According to Alvarez et al. (2002) L. duckworthi can be distinguished from L. kaakaariki only by colour and possibly growth form, characters considered to have little value in discrimination species of Latrunculia at present.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Photomicrographs of choanosomal architectures: A. L. bocagei Ridley and Dendy 1886; B. Latrunculia apicalis Ridley and Dendy 1886; C. Latrunculia biformis Kirkpatrick 1908; D. Latrunculia basilis Kirkpatrick 1908; E. Latrunculia brevis Ridley and Dendy 1887; F. Latrunculia multirotalis Topsent 1905.

FIGURE 7. Worldwide distributions of Latrunculia (Biannulata) species. Distributions of A) Latrunculia spinispiraefera Brøndsted, B) Latrunculia citharistae Vacelet, C) Latrunculia purpurea Carter, D) Latrunculia oparinae Samaai and Krasokhin; E) Latrunculia lunaviridis Samaai and Kelly; F) Latrunculia microacanthoxea Samaai and Kelly; G) Latrunculia kaakaariki Alvarez et al.; H) Latrunculia duckworthi Alvarez et al.; I) Latrunculia procumbens Alvarez et al.; J) Latrunculia wellingtonensis Alvarez et al., 2002; K) Latrunculia kaikoura Alvarez et al.; L) Latrunculia millerae Alvarez et al.; M). Latrunculia austini sp. nov.