Agelas wiedenmayeri Alcolado, 1984

Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, Zootaxa 5031 (1), pp. 1-112 : 14-15

Agelas wiedenmayeri Alcolado, 1984

Tables 6, 7; Figs. 7A–D , 16F

Synonymy and references: Agelas wiedenmayeri Alcolado (1984: 11) , Muricy et al. (2011: 40), Parra-Velandia et al. (2014: 313), and Rützler et al. (2014: 78); Agelas schmidtii : see references compiled in Muricy et al. (2011: 40), and Parra-Velandia et al. (2014: 313);? Agelas schmidtii : see references compiled in Parra-Velandia et al. (2014: 313).

Type locality. Cuba .

Material examined. CNPGG-1946, Alacranes reef (22.38333°N, 8963105°W), 12 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 23 June 2016; CNPGG-1973, Alacranes reef (22.36705°N, 89.67511°W), 16 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 25 June 2016; CNPGG-2476, Alacranes reef (22.36666°N, 89.66666°W), 4 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 23 May 2016.

Description. Erect tubular habit with cylindrical short and thick tubes in clusters (five tubes), raised from a common base ( Fig. 16F ); the size of tubes are 4–5 cm long, 1.5–3 cm in diameter, 0.25 cm the thickness of the tube wall. Surface smooth, without visible pores. Oscules of two types; large ones on the top of each tube, up to 2.5 cm diameter, and small oscules scattered on the external walls, up to 0.25 cm in diameter. Color in vivo reddish-brown, dark brown preserved in ethanol. The consistency is resilient and compressible.

Skeleton. A reticulation of spongin fibers forms regular and rounded meshes near the surface, up to 250 µm wide ( Fig. 7A ). Toward the choanosomal region, meshes are more irregular and larger, up to 750 µm wide ( Fig. 7B ). Ascending primary fibers are 50–80 µm in diameter, cored by several spicules. Uncored interconnecting fibers and echinated, 30–50 µm thick. Simultaneously, there are scattered spicules ( Fig. 7C ) and sediments throughout the skeleton ( Fig. 7A–B ).

Spicules. Megascleres: verticillate acanthostyles ( Fig. 7D ), slightly curved; 70– 99.0 (14)–120/4– 4.7 (0.4)–5 µm.

Distribution. Mexico (current records), Cuba ( Alcolado 1984), Bahamas, other countries in the Caribbean Sea, and Brazil ( Parra-Velandia et al. 2014).

Remarks. Parra-Velandia et al. (2014) have analyzed specimens of A. wiedenmayeri from several localities in the Caribbean (size range of verticillate styles, 97–227/5–15 µm) and the Bahamas (size range of verticillate styles, 73–111/4–8 µm). Our material has spicule measurements (70–120/4–5 µm.) close to the material described by Parra-Velandia et al. (2014) from the Bahamas. Up to now, A. wiedenmayeri has not been reported from the GoM. Thus this is the first record for the region.

Figures

FIGURE 7. Agelas wiedenmayeri Alcolado, 1984 (CNPGG-2476), skeleton and spicules:A. transversal section of the skeleton; B. detail of the ectosomal region; C. detail of the choanosomal region; D. verticillated acanthostyles, arrow pointing to a juvenile form. Scale bars: A = 500 µm; B–C = 100 µm; D = 50 µm.

FIGURE 16. In situ photographs of species analyzed in the present study: A. Agelas clathrodes (Schmidt, 1870) (CNPGG- 2297); B. Agelas conifera (Schmidt, 1870) (CNPGG-2373); C. Agelas dispar Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 (CNPGG-2007); D. Agelas schmidtii Wilson, 1902 (CNPGG-2285);E. Agelas sventres Lehnert & van Soest, 1996 (CNPGG-2285); F. Agelas wiedenmayeri Alcolado, 1984 (CNPGG-2476); G. Prosuberites carriebowensis Rützler, Piantoni, van Soest & Díaz, 2014 (CNPGG-2211); H. Ectyoplasia ferox (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (CNPGG-2407); I. Ectyoplasia ferox (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (CNPGG-2240); J. Dragmacidon reticulatum (Ridley & Dendy, 1886) (CNPGG-2283); K. Ptilocaulis walpersii (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (CNPGG-2171); L. Myrmekioderma rea (de Laubenfels, 1934) (CNPGG-2261); M. Neofibularia nolitangere (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (CNPGG-2206); N. Desmanthus meandroides van Soest & Hajdu, 2000 (CNPGG-2389); O. Cliona aprica Pang, 1973 (CNPGG-2298). Scale bars, A–O = 1 cm.