Neopodospongia tupecomareni Hajdu, Desqueyroux-Faúndez, Carvalho, Lôbo-Hajdu and Willenz sp. nov., 2013

Hajdu, Eduardo, Desqueyroux-Faúndez, Ruth, Carvalho, Mariana De Souza, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Willenz, Philippe, 2013, Twelve new Demospongiae (Porifera) from Chilean fjords, with remarks upon sponge-derived biogeographic compartments in the SE Pacific, Zootaxa 3744 (1), pp. 1-64 : 48-49

Neopodospongia tupecomareni Hajdu, Desqueyroux-Faúndez, Carvalho, Lôbo-Hajdu and Willenz sp. nov.

( Figs. 6F , 10J–Q ; Tab. 8 )

Sigmosceptrella tupecomareni Hajdu et al. (2009, nomen nudum) in Willenz et al. (2009: 141)

Type material. Holotype. IZUA-POR 148 , Comau Fjord ( Chilean Patagonia ), 23 m depth, coll. G. Försterra, 16 September 2003 —fragments from the holotype: MHNG 61495 , MNRJ 8265 and RBINSc-IG 32231-POR 8265 . Paratypes. MNRJ 8223 , northern side of the entrance of Quintupeu Fjord (42º09’49.32”S – 72º26’40.32”W, Chilean Patagonia), 14 m depth, coll. E. Hajdu, G. Lôbo-Hajdu and Ph.Willenz, 21 April 2004 —fragments from the paratype: MHNG 61481 and RBINSc-IG 32231-POR 8223. MNRJ 10323 , northern side of the entrance of Quintupeu Fjord (42º09’49.32”S – 72º26’40.32”W, Chilean Patagonia), 20–24 m depth, coll. E. Hajdu and Ph.Willenz, 10 October 2006 —fragment from the paratype: RBINSc-IG 32275-POR 10323 . MNRJ 10343 , northern side of the entrance of Quintupeu Fjord (42º09’49.32”S – 72º26’40.32”W, Chilean Patagonia), 25 m depth, coll. D. Thompson, 10 October 2006 —fragments from the paratype: MHNG 82688 and RBINSc-IG 32275-POR 10343 . MNRJ 10348 , northern side of the entrance of Quintupeu Fjord (42º09’49.32”S – 72º26’40.32”W, Chilean Patagonia), 25 m depth, coll. D. Thompson, 10 October 2006 —fragment from the paratype: RBINSc-IG 32275- POR 10348 . MNRJ 10787 , Reñihué Fjord (42º33’10.20”S – 72º35’30.60”W, Chilean Patagonia), 25 m depth, coll. Ph. Willenz and J. Biro, 20 May 2007 —fragment from the paratype: RBINSc-IG 32235-POR 10787 . MNRJ 12927 , Reñihué Fjord (42°33’08.46”S–72° 31’39.66”0W, Chilean Patagonia), 28 m depth, coll. Ph. Willenz and J. Biro, 7 February 2009 —fragment from the paratype: RBINSc-IG 32238 PORb 12927 .

Diagnosis. Neopodospongia tupecomareni sp. nov. is the only species in the genus with megascleres mostly larger than 500 µm long and frequently thicker than 10 µm, with two categories of aciculospinorhabds, the larger, smaller than 70 µm, the smaller, smaller than 40 µm.

Description ( Fig. 6F ). Thick crust, with smooth, velvety and porous surface. Consistency is soft and slightly brittle. Specimens are generally smaller than 8 cm in diameter, and bear a few scattered oscula, 1–3 mm in diameter. Live-colour is very light-pink or occasionally light-yellow outside, and a darker hue inside, usually orangey, turning to beige upon collection and preservation in ethanol.

Skeleton ( Figs. 10J –J’). Ectosomal skeleton, a dense crust of aciculospinorhabds supported by slightly divergent brushes at the ends of the ascending choanosomal tracts of megascleres. Choanosomal skeleton, plumose, not too dense, composed of multispicular bundles of megascleres (up to 220 µm in diameter) running towards the surface. Aciculospinorhabds also found in all parts of choanosome, but in much smaller density.

Spicules ( Figs. 10K–Q ). Megascleres, smooth anisoxeas, frequently slightly polytylote ( Figs. 10K–L ), 428– 713 µm long and 7–14 µm thick. Microscleres, two categories of aciculospinorhabds; larger, terminally expanded as a roundish cactus ( Figs. 10M–P ), 48–70 µm long and 19–53 µm across (diameter including larger spines); smaller, occasionally terminally expanded lengthways spur-like, rarely sigmoid ( Fig. 10Q ), 26–38 µm long and 12–25 µm across.

Distribution and ecology. So far known from Comau, Palvitad, Pitipalena, Quintupeu and Reñihué fjords only, between 42 and 44ºS. The species is quite common in the entrance of Quintupeu Fjord. It occurs on nearly vertical rocky walls, in close association with many organisms such as anthozoans, polychaetes, other sponges, particularly Clathrina fjordica Azevedo et al., 2009 and Leucaltis nuda Azevedo et al., 2009 , and crustose bryozoans, between 20 and 25 m depth.

Etymology. The name “tupecomareni” is a noun in apposition, derived from the names of the three fjords where the sponge has first been found, QuinTUPEu, COMAu and REÑIhué.

Remarks. Neopodospongia tupecomareni sp. nov. is a quite conspicuous species, easily spotted through its somewhat fried yolkless-egg appearance. No other species in the Chilean fjords region has a combination of its external colour, soft and friable consistency, and thin surface crust densely packed with aciculospinorhabds.

There are only another four species in the genus worldwide according to Sim-Smith and Kelly (2011; Table 8 ). These are mostly relatively easy to distinguish from N. tupecomareni sp. nov., either through consistently smaller and more slender megascleres ( N. pagei and N. bergquistae ), possession of a single category of aciculodiscorhabds ( N. bergquistae ) or these microscleres reaching lengths over 100 µm ( N. normani ). Neopodospongia exilis , on the other hand, is distinguished via a series of smaller, less conspicuous characters, especially when SEM images are unavailable. Meristic characters setting N. tupecomareni sp. nov. and N. exilis apart are the former’s aciculodiscorhabds I, always smaller than 70 µm, and aciculodiscorhabds II always smaller than 40 µm, as opposed to the latter species’ 56–76 and 25–59 µm, respectively. The micromorphology of the aciculodiscorhabds also sets both species apart, with N. tupecomareni sp. nov. exhibiting basal whorls with 4–6 spines which may subdivide in category I, and polyfurcating spines on category II, while N. exilis possesses only four spines on the basal whorls of its category I aciculodiscorhabds, and mono– or bifurcating category II.

On top of the morphologic distinction verified for all these species, the known distribution of Neopodospongia is also intriguing, and further supporting the status of N. tupecomareni sp. nov. as a new species, in view of the 8800 km distance, or more, observed between the Chilean sponge and its nearest congeners in New Zealand.

Figures

FIGURE 6. In situ photographs of Latrunculia ciruela sp. nov. (A, IZUA-POR 145, holotype), Latrunculia copihuensis sp. nov. (B, RBINSc-IG 32233-POR 9915, holotype), Latrunculia verenae sp. nov. (C, IZUA-POR 146, holotype), Latrunculia yepayek sp. nov. (D, RBINSc-IG 32233-POR 9940, holotype), Clathria mytilifila sp. nov. (E, MNRJ 8198, holotype), Neopodospongia tupecomareni sp. nov. (F, MNRJ 10787, paratype), and Myxilla araucana sp. nov. (G, MNRJ 8220, holotype). Scale bars: A–D, 5 cm; E–G, 2 cm.

FIGURE 10. Skeletal architecture and spicule complement of Clathria mytilifila sp. nov. (A–I, IZUA-POR 147, holotype), Neopodospongia tupecomareni sp. nov. (J–Q, IZUA-POR 148, holotype; MNRJ 8223 and MNRJ 12927, paratypes), and Myxilla (Burtonanchora) araucana sp. nov. (R–V, MNRJ 8220, holotype). C. mytilifila sp. nov.: A, transverse section showing skeletal architecture near base; B, principal choanosomal subtylostyles; C, detail of base of principal choanosomal subtylostyle; D, ectosomal auxiliary subtylostyle; E, detail of base of ectosomal auxiliary subtylostyle; F, accessory acanthostyles I and II; G, detail of spination of accessory acanthostyle II; H, palmate isochelae; I, toxa. N. tupecomareni sp. nov.: J, transverse section showing skeletal architecture near surface (J’, detail of ectosomal region highlighting abundance of spinorhabds); K, megascleres; L, detail of extremities of both megascleres in K; M–P, large spinorhabds; Q, small spinorhabds. M. (B.) araucana sp. nov.: R, transverse section showing choanosomal skeletal architecture; S, choanosomal style; T, ectosomal subtylote; U, details of extremities of ectosomal subtylote; V, anchorate isochelae. Scale bars: A, S, 100 µm; B, D, F, J’, T, 50 µm; C, E, G, H, U, 5 µm; L, 10 µm; J, 800 µm; R, 200 µm; M–Q, V, W, X, 20 µm.