Mycale (Carmia)

Calcinai, Barbara, Bavestrello, Giorgio, Bertolino, Marco, Pica, Daniela, Wagner, Daniel & Cerrano, Carlo, 2013, Sponges associated with octocorals in the Indo-Pacific, with the description of four new species, Zootaxa 3617 (1), pp. 1-61 : 46

Mycale (Carmia) sp.

( Fig. 29 A–F)

Examined material. Sample Bugor 310: Indonesia, North Sulawesi, Siladen Island, Siladen Barat, 7 m, 28 January 2007.

Description. Gelatinous, very thin encrusting sponge (about 1 mm thick) on Carijoa riisei ( Fig. 29 A, B). Brownish-orange in situ ( Fig. 29 A), yellow-whitish in ethanol ( Fig. 29 B). The collected specimens consist of six fragments of a colony of Carijoa , up to 14 cm in length ( Fig. 29 B).

Skeleton. No specialized ectosomal skeleton. Plumose tracts of mycalostyles, reinforced by toxas, without evident direction ( Fig. 29 C). Anisochelae scattered in the tissue.

Spicules. Thin mycalostyles generally straight, with oval, needle-shaped heads and blunt tips ( Fig. 29 D), 125 – (194.8 ± 25.8) – 212.5 x 2 μm. Anisochelae with a characteristic tooth on the frontal basal ala ( Fig. 29 E), 12.5 – (13.6 ± 1.7) – 17.5 μm. Toxas with a well pronounced central flexion ( Fig. 29 F), 62 – (174.0 ± 82.4) – 380 μm.

Remarks. The attribution to the subgenus Carmia is uncertain due to the bad preservation of the specimen. The presence of an ectosomal skeleton is doubtful. Mycale (C.) toxifera ( Dendy, 1896) is very close to Mycale (Carmia) sp. especially in the shape of mycalostyles, but the microscleres are different in shape and dimensions (see M. (C.) cf. toxifera description).

Figures

FIGURE 29. Mycale (Carmia) sp. A, Sponge on Carijoa riisei in situ; B, Examined sample on C. riisei; C, Choanosome of plumose tracts of mycalostyles; D, Mycalostyle with magnification of the extremities; E, Anisochela with evident central tooth; F, Toxa.