Porifera from Ponta do Ouro (Mozambique) Calcinai, Barbara Belfiore, Giuseppe Pica, Daniela Torsani, Fabrizio Palma, Marco Cerrano, Carlo European Journal of Taxonomy 2020 2020-08-06 698 1 56 86WZK Calcinai & Belfiore Calcinai & Belfiore & Pica & Torsani & Palma & Cerrano 2020 [492,998,1488,1515] Demospongiae Spongiidae Hyattella Animalia Dictyoceratida 7 8 Porifera species pedunculata sp. nov.   Fig. 5    Diagnosis A species of  Hyattellacharacterized by a globular body, supported by a short stalk; small-sized fibers and free of inclusion.    Etymology The species is named ‘  pedunculata’ due to its characteristic stalk, in Latin ‘ pedunculus’.    Material examined    Holotype  PONTA DO OURO• fragmentabout 7 ×3× 2.5 cm; 26°46′38.829″ S, 32°54′17.381″ E; Waynes;  40.6 mdeep;  17 Feb. 2017; Cerranoleg.; MSNG 61418.   Paratype   PONTA DO OURO• 2 fragments, the biggest, preserved dry, is 3× 2× 1.5 cm; Cloud break;  18 May 2015; Torsanileg; MSNG 61419.    Description The sponge is pedunculate and the massive, globular body is supported by a short stalk ( Fig. 5A–B). The color is reddish-pink, but in alcohol it turns creamy. The reddish color is still preserved in the dried state. The paratype(MSNG 61419) presents irregular short and thick digitations ( Fig. 5A, C) while in the holotype(MSNG 61418) the surface is more even ( Fig. 5B). At a microscopic observation, the surface is smooth and appears cribrous; the consistence is firm but compressible. The body is cavernous, completely perforated by large lacunae ( Fig. 5C).   Fig. 5.  Hyattella pedunculataCalcinai & Belfiore sp. nov. A, C. Specimen in situ, paratype MSNG 61419; C shows the internal, lacunose body. B. Holotype MSNG 61418. D. Network of fibers. E. Superficial cuticle with foreign sand. SKELETON. It consists of a network of long primary fibers, 10–25 µm, linked by very short secondary fibers, 7.5–20 µmin diameter, forming irregular meshes, around 250 µmwide ( Fig. 5D); fibers are free from inclusions. Presence of rounded foreign bodies 100–200 µmin section on superficial cuticle ( Fig. 5E).    Remarks The specimens belong to the genus  Hyattella Lendenfeld, 1888, showing a lacunose body, an unarmoured surface and a skeleton composed by common primary fibers linked by secondary fibers. This species is characterized by the small size of its primary and secondary fibers compared to the size of the fibers in the other species of the genus; moreover, the pedunculate shape is rare among species of the genus  Hyattella; only  Hyattella globosa Lendenfeld, 1889partially fits the studied specimens in the general morphology (spherical sponge, attached by a small base) and in its cribrose surface. The principal differences are in the larger dimensions of the fibers (up to 100 µm) and in the presence of compound meshes creating ‘perforated plates’ in  H. globosa. 2825837308 2017-02-17 PONTA, OURO Cerrano 41 -26.777452 PONTA DO OURO 1 32.90483 PONTA DO OURO 7 8 MSNG 61418 1 holotype 2825837312 2015-05-18 MSNG Torsani PONTA DO OURO PONTA DO OURO 8 9 MSNG 61419 2 paratype