Luffariella tubula, Sim & Lee & Kim, 2017

Sim, Chung Ja, Lee, Kyung Jin & Kim, Young A, 2017, Two new species of genus Luffariella (Dictyoceratida: Thorectidae) from Korea, Journal of Species Research 6 (2), pp. 190-194 : 190-192

Luffariella tubula n. sp. ( Fig. 1 )

Type specimen. Holotype (NIBRIV0000305501), Munseom, Seogwipo-si , Jeju-do, 3 Sep 2012, Eom TY, by SCUBA, depth 10 m, deposited in the NIBR.

Description. Irregular small mass with tube-like branch repent form, size up to 6.5 × 4 cm. Surface covered with thin membrane, conules indistinct. Thin walled tube, 1-2 mm thick. Several vent holes, 2-5 mm in diameter, open at end of tube. Color in life yellowish beige. Texture very hard and imcompressible. Sponge have a large quantity of collagen with fibres network.

Skeleton: The skeleton consists of reticulation of thin-walled. Meshed network of thick primary fibres, separated from secondary and tertiary fibres ( Fig. 1C ). Primary fibres usually uncored from debris, but cored fibres appeared near surface membrane rarely. Primary fibres usually irregular shape and variable in diameter, but cored fibres, 150 μm in diameter, near surface. Uncored primary fibres, 80-200 μm in diameter, at choanosome ( Fig. 1H ), Two sizes of regular secondary fibres, 60-100 μm and 40-60 μm in diameter. Tertiary fibres, 10-15 μm in diameter ( Fig. 1C ).

Etymology. This species is named after its tube-like shape.

Remarks. This new species is very similar to the genus Hyattella in the skeletal structure of secondary fibres, but differs in lacking cored primary fibres. Thickly branched primary and tertiary fibres appeared in choanosome.

Figures

Fig. 1. Luffariella tubula n. sp. A, entire animal; B, closed surface; C, primary fibres separate from secondary and tertiary fibres; D, cored primary fibres near surface; E, F, choanosome skeletal structure. G, skeletal structure with collagen; H, thick branched primary fibres with secondary and tertiary fibres. Scale bars:A=2 cm, B=1 cm, C, D=200 μm, E-H=100μm.