Oceanapia stalagmitica ( Wiedenmayer, 1977 )

Neto, Carlos Santos, Nascimento, Elielton, Cavalcanti, Thaynã & Pinheiro, Ulisses, 2018, Taxonomy of Oceanapia Norman, 1869 (Demospongiae: Haplosclerida: Phloeodictyidae) from the Brazilian coast, Zootaxa 4455 (2), pp. 363-376 : 373-374

Oceanapia stalagmitica ( Wiedenmayer, 1977)

Figures 7–8 , Table 1

Biminia stalagmitica Wiedenmayer, 1977 : p. 124–125, pl. 26 fig. 1, text-figs 133–134 ( Bahamas) Oceanapia stalagmitica ; Lehnert & Van Soest, 1996: p. 78, figs 17, 32, 78–81 ( Jamaica)? Oceanapia cf. stalagmitica ; Van Soest, 2017: p. 46–48, figs 29a–g ( Guyana and Suriname)

Material examined. UFPEPOR 2240, Pará State, Brazil, coll. Piatam Project (2008).

External morphology ( Fig. 7A–B ). Spherical sponge, 11– 9 cm (height x width). Inhalant fistulae (0.5–3.3 x 0.2–0.6 cm, height x width), some anastomosed, forming structures with fused channels. The surface is irregular with a detachable cortex; consistency is firm and compressible. Colour when preserved (ethanol 80%) is white, unknown in life.

Skeleton ( Fig. 7C–D ). Ectosomal skeleton as a compact crust of bundles of fibers, forming multispicular meshes crosslinked by a subisodictial reticulation. Choanosomal skeleton is an irregular reticulation with multispicular bundles forming circular meshes (433– 679.93 –1233 µm), smaller towards the surface.

Spicules ( Fig. 8 ). Oxeas (113– 146.8 –167 / 3– 4.8 –6 µm): robust, smooth, slightly curved and sharply pointed ( Fig. 8A ). Sigmas (19– 27.2 –35 µm): thin, smooth and angular ( Fig. 8B ). Toxas (19– 28.8 –37 µm): sharp-angled, robust and smooth ( Fig. 8C ).

Distribution and ecology. The specimen was collected in the North region, Pará State coast, Brazil ( Fig. 1 ).

Remarks. Having been recorded only in the Caribbean, this is the first record of the species for the Brazilian coast. The region where the specimen was found is close to the Amazon River mouth. The Brazilian specimen is similar to the original description of Wiedenmayer (1977). Recently, Van Soest (2017) recorded Oceanapia cf. stalagmitica for Guyana and Suriname, but its spicule complement is quite distinct from the species studied here; it has larger oxeas and toxas ( Table 1).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Location of study area and collection sites of species of Oceanapia, (1) Oceanapia hechteli nom. nov. (Pernambuco State); (2) Oceanapia cordia sp. nov. and (3) Oceanapia magna sp. nov. (Rio Grande do Norte State); (4) Oceanapia stalagmitica (Wiedenmayer, 1977) (Pará State). Abbreviations for States are: AP = Amapá; BA = Bahia; CE = Ceará; MA = Maranhão; MT = Mato Grosso; PA = Pará; PB = Paraíba; PE = Pernambuco; PI = Piauí; RN = Rio Grande do Norte; TO = Tocantins.

FIGURE 7. Oceanapia stalagmitica (Wiedenmayer, 1977) (UFPEPOR 2240). A, preserved specimen; B, close up of oscules; C, thick section showing ectosome and choanosome; D, tangential section showing ectosome. Scale bars: A = 5 cm; B = 2 cm; C = 1000 µm; D = 500 µm.

FIGURE 8. Spicule complement of Oceanapia stalagmitica (Wiedenmayer, 1977) (UFPEPOR 2240) in SEM. A, oxeas; B, sigmas; C, toxas. Scale bars: A = 50 µm; B–C = 10 µm.