Herengeria vasiformis, Schlacher-Hoenlinger & Pisera & Hooper, 2005

Schlacher-Hoenlinger, Monika A., Pisera, Andrzej & Hooper, John N. A., 2005, Deep-sea “ lithistid ” assemblages from the Norfolk Ridge (New Caledonia), with description of seven new species and a new genus (Porifera, Demospongiae), Zoosystema 27 (4), pp. 649-698 : 668

Herengeria vasiformis n. sp.

( Figs 2F ; 10 ; 24 )

HOLOTYPE. — New Caledonian Slope, 22°52’22”S, 167°12’27”E, 340-381 m, RV Alis, 28.VI.2001, coll. T. Schlacher, Warén dredge ( MNHN DCL 3902 , a fragment of the holotype in QM [G318678s).

ETYMOLOGY. — Named for the vase-shaped morphology. OTHER MATERIAL EXAMINED (see Table 1). — New Caledonian Slope, 383-407 m (QM G318594). — Éponge, 509-564 m (QM G318699); 508-541 m (QM G318771).

DESCRIPTION

Growth form

Massive cup-shaped sponges with thick walls and ovoid to round cup openings and rounded margins. Specimens are approximately 3 to 4.5 cm high and 4-5 × 3-6 cm wide with an approximately 3 to 4 cm broad base.

Colour

Dark brown exterior, lighter brown interior in etoh.

Oscules

Not visible.

Texture

Hard, stony, brittle.

Surface ornamentation

Rough.

Ectosomal skeleton

Contains smooth dichotriaenes perpendicular to the surface and abundant microscleres. The latter forming a crust and consisting of microspinose, often centrotylote, curved microxeas and rhabdlike spirasters. Ostia are 42-53 µm and are sparsely but evenly distributed on the outer surface of the sponge. Ostia are not visible in every specimen thus producing smooth inner and outer surfaces.

Choanosomal skeleton

Dense skeleton of regular, slightly curved, tripodal dicranoclone desmas. Choanosomal microscleres are typically microspinose spirasters with long, more or less pointed rays and some centrotylote microxeas.

Megascleres

Dicranoclone desmas consist of numerous mushroom-shaped tubercles, which are in turn covered with numerous, small, low, densely packed tubercles. The latter not obvious in some cases as young desmas are smooth or bear smooth tubercles. Tubercles are more numerous at the articulation points. Articulation of desmas is usually head-to-shoulder or terminal and not very strong: 400-600 µm/40-60µm.

Dichotriaenes smooth, with straight tips: 162- 209 µm long × 452-606 µm diameter (cladome). Oxeas: there are some thin long oxeas, but always broken in histological preparations.

Microscleres

Acanthoxeas (centrotylote, curved): 82.6-111 × 2.37-3.38 µm.

Spirasters with slender rays: 14.7-20.5 × 10.1- 12.9 µm.

Rhabd-like spirasters: 12.5-17.1 × 3.52-7.14 µm.

REMARKS

Based on microsclere and desma morphology these specimen undoubtedly belong to the genus Herengeria . Consequently, a redefinition of the genus is required based on the very different morphology of this new species compared to the only known type species, H. auriculata (see above), which is a massive sponge with lateral inhalant lamella. By comparison the new species is a vaseshaped sponge with thick walls. This new species differs also in having thicker microxeas, shorter, more massive and less regularly developed rhabdlike spirasters, and in having smaller spirasters with slender rays.

Figures

FIG. 2. — A, Aciculites orientalis Dendy, 1905; B, Scleritoderma sp.; C, S. camusi Lévi & Lévi, 1983; D, S. flabelliforme Sollas, 1888; E, Corallistes australis n. sp.; F, Herengeria vasiformis n. sp.; G, H. auriculata Lévi & Lévi, 1988. Scale bars: 1 cm.

FIG. 10. — Herengeria vasiformis n. sp.; A, outer surface with pores; B, detail of same outer surface with pores and ectosomal dichotriaenes and dense crust of microscleres; C, outer surface of the choanosomal skeleton; D, outer surface of the choanosomal skeleton with numerous young desmas (not tuberculated); E, details of dicranoclone desmas, note the young nearly smooth desma on the left; F, details of articulation between choanosomal desmas. Scale bars: A, C, 1 mm; B, E, F, 100 µm; D, 500 µm.

FIG. 24. — Herengeria vasiformis n. sp.; A, detail of microxea; B, microxeas; C, choanosomal spirasters with slender rays; D, subectosomal rhabd-like spirasters; E, ectosomal dichotriaene. Scale bars: A, C, D, 5 µm; B, 20 µm; E, 100 µm.