Auletta laboreli, Cavalcanti & Recinos & Pinheiro, 2017

Cavalcanti, Thaynã, Recinos, Radharanne & Pinheiro, Ulisses, 2017, Two new Auletta Schmidt, 1870 (Axinellidae; Demospongiae; Porifera) from Brazil, Zootaxa 4273 (1), pp. 121-130 : 125-127

Auletta laboreli sp. nov.

( Figures 1 , 4–5 , Table 1)

Type locality: Brazil, Pernambuco State.

Type specimens: Holotype. UFPEPOR 3168, off Itamaracá Municipality (7°40’0’’ S – 34°28’7’’ W), Pernambuco State, Brazil, depth 60–68 m, st. 36, Pernambuco expedition (14/II/1969) . Paratypes. UFPEPOR 3169 and UFPEPOR 3170, off Olinda Municipality (8°00’0’’ S – 34°32’2’’ W), Pernambuco State, Brazil, depth 70–80 m, st. 24, Pernambuco expedition (7/II/1969) .

Diagnosis. Western Atlantic Auletta with cylindrical and cavernous body, spicule complement of styles (251– 335 / 2–5 µm, length / width) with blunt and telescopic tips and sinuous strongyles (194–325 / 3–6 µm, length / width).

External morphology ( Fig. 4 A–C). Cylindrical sponges, specimens are very fragmented ( Fig. 4 A–B). Oscula with different shapes, circular (2–3 mm, diameter) and elongate (3–5 mm, length), distributed along the sponge ( Fig. 4 C). The interior is cavernous, surface is smooth, and consistency is compressible and fragile. Colour is light beige or reddish-brown (ethanol 80%), colour in life is unknown.

Skeleton ( Fig. 4 D–E). Ectosome lacking a specialized skeleton. Choanosomal skeleton plumoreticulate, with ascending and longitudinal tracts of strongyles (or strongyloxeas) ( Fig. 4 D). Uni- or paucispicular styles are plumo-echinating and connecting tracts ( Fig. 4 E). Some terminal tracts of spicules piercing surface in brushes.

Spicules ( Fig. 5 A–D). Styles (251–284.7–335 / 2–3.5–5 µm, length / width): elongated, smooth, slightly curved, blunt and telescopic tips ( Fig. 5 A, D); Strongyles (194–269.9–325 / 3–4.6–6 µm, length / width): smooth, mostly lightly curved, a few sinuous strongyloxeas are found ( Fig. 5 B–C).

Distribution and ecology. Endemic to Pernambuco State (Northeastern Region, Brazil), between 60–80 m deep. Collected on calcareous algae substrate.

Etymology. The species is named after Prof. Jacques Laborel in recognition for his great contribution to studies of reefs from Pernambuco State.

Remarks. The new species Auletta laboreli sp. nov. is assigned to the genus by the presence of sinuous strongyles, styles plumo-echinating and connecting main tracts, and a plumoreticulate skeleton with longitudinal tracts. Auletta laboreli sp. nov. is an unusual species of the genus due to the presence of fragmented cylindrical shape and cavernous interior, which is uncommon for the majority of species. However, some species of Auletta were described with similar features. Thomas (1979) described A. elongata as a lamellar sponge with robust fibers within the sponge. Additionally, the original description of A. halichondroides refers to a massive, tubular and porous sponge. Nevertheless, according to Alvarez et al. (2008), growth form cannot be used as a diagnostic feature for some Axinellidae such as the genus Auletta and Pipestela Alvarez et al., 2008 . The genus Pipestela also has species with common tubular or cylindrical projections, but it has a choanosomal skeleton formed by a loose reticulation of plumose and wavy paucispicular to multispicular tracts, and thin oxeas ( Alvarez et al. 2008). Auletta laboreli sp. nov. differs from A. tuberosa , A. andamanensis , A. aurantiaca , A. consimilis , A. dendrophora , A. elongata , A. halichondrioides , A. krautteri and A. lyrata by the absence of oxeas. Auletta sycinularia and A. tubulosa can be distinguished from Auletta laboreli sp. nov. by their two categories of styles and tubular shape. Much longer styles and strongyles are found in A. grantioides , A. pedunculata and A. sessilis ( Table 1). The most similar species is Auletta akaroa sp. nov. sharing the presence of styles and strongyles with similar dimensions (see Table 1), but differs by the tubular form on a stalked base and absence of telescopic tips on styles.

(few sinuous) ……continued to the next page References: (1) Lévi & Vacelet (1958); (2) Topsent (1896); (3) Pulitzer-Finali (1983); (4) Topsent (1904); (5) Alvarez & Hooper (2002); (6) Alvarez et al. (1998); (7) Ridley

Dendy (1886); (8) Ridley & Dendy (1887); (9) Pattanayak (2006); (10) Dendy (1889); (11) Thiele (1898); (12) Wilson (1904); (13) Desqueyroux-Faúndez & Van Soest 1997); (14) Dendy (1905); (15) Burton (1928); (16) Thomas (1979); (17) Austin et al. (2013).

Figures

FIGURE 1. Location of the studied area and the collection sites of Auletta species: (1) Auletta akaroa sp. nov. (Alagoas State); (2), (3) Auletta laboreli sp. nov. (Pernambuco State).

FIGURE 4. Auletta laboreli sp. nov. (UFPEPOR 3168 and UFPEPOR 3169). A, specimens preserved (UFPEPOR 3168, holotype); B, specimens preserved (UFPEPOR 3169, paratype); C, detail of oscula (arrows); D, detail of choanosome; E, thick section showing the ectosome and choanosome. Scale bars: A – B = 2 cm; C = 1 cm; D = 100 µm; E = 500 µm.

FIGURE 5. Spicule complement of Auletta laboreli sp. nov. in SEM (UFPEPOR 3168, holotype). A, size variation of styles; B, strongyles; C, details of strongyles; D, details of styles. Scale bars: A – B = 100 µm; C – D = 5 µm.