Luffariella koreana, 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 : 192-194

Luffariella koreana n. sp. ( Figs. 2 , 3 )

Type specimen. Holotype (NIBRIV0000305502), Munseom, Seogwipo-si , Jeju-do, 5 Sep 2012, Eom TY, by scuba, depth 10 m, deposited in the NIBR.

Description. Irregular mass with three tube-like branch on sponge side. Size up to 12 × 4.5 cm and branches, 1-2 cm in diameter. Surface covered with thin membrane. Surface conules indistinct. Several vents open over sponge surface. Color in life dirty gray. Texture firm and compressible.

Skeleton: Thin walled tube-like branches consist of dens fibres network with strong collagen. Primary fibres usually uncored, but small part of fibres lightly cored at surface. Near surface, primary fibres arrayed in groups of two or three fibres and connected by secondary fibres in a ladder-like ( Fig. 3B ). Primary fibres at surface, 80- 350 μm in diameter and 350 μm in diameter at choanosome, irregularly arranged at base of sponge. Secondary fibres, 20-70 μm in diameter. Large meshed regular network, 250-600 μm wide, appeared near surface membrane ( Fig. 3A ). Primary and secondary fibres network separated from each other. Tertiary fibres, 8-10 μm in diameter, branched out from secondary fibres at choanosome ( Fig. 3C ).

Etymology. This species is named after the type locality, Korea.

Remarks. This new species is very similar to Luffariella cylindrica Bergquist 1995 and L. variabilis Polajaeff 1884 , partly in its arrangement of skeletal structure, but differs in sponge growth form. Growth form of this new species branches out laterally like repent form, but L. cylindrica and L. variabilis are erect form.

Figures

Fig. 2. Luffariella koreana n. sp. A, entire animal; B, skeletal structure; C, surface primary fibre; D, closed skeletal structure; E, primary fibres surrounded secondary and tertiary fibres; F, secondary and primary fibres separated with each other (arrow). Scale bars: A=3 cm, B=50 μm C-E=100μm, F=50 μm.

Fig. 3. Luffariella koreana n. sp. A, surface membrane with secondary fibres; B, closed primary fibres; C, tertiary fibres; D, thin secondary fibres; E, base skeletal structure; F, cored primary fibres. Scale bars:A-F=100 μm.