Callyspongia (Callyspongia)

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 : 53-54

Callyspongia (Callyspongia) sp.

( Fig. 34 A–F) ( Tab. 15)

Examined material. Sample YO-257: Hawai’i, O’ahu Island, 30 m, 0 3 May 2005; YO-257-4, YO257-5: Hawai’i, O’ahu Island, depth ~ 30 m, 5 July 2007.

Description. Elastic and compressible sponge, about 3 mm thick, covering three fragments (about 7 cm long) of Carijoa riisei ( Fig. 34 A), but not the anthocodiae ( Fig. 34 B). Surface smooth, with incorporated sand. The sponge is deep orange ( Fig. 34 A), and gray-pale yellow in ethanol.

Skeleton. The ectosome consists of a regular reticulation of polygonal meshes ( Fig. 34 C, D) of primary, paucispicular fibres (about 20 μm in diameter), secondary paucispicular fibres (about 15 μm in diameter) and tertiary fibres often aspicular (5–10 μm in diameter). The choanosome is a regular reticulum of primary and secondary fibres producing polygonal meshes ( Fig. 34 E). Primary fibres are plurispicular, about 45–65 μm in diameter, running to the surface and creating small conules ( Fig. 34 D). Secondary, paucispicular fibres (about 20–35 μm) connect the primary fibres ( Fig. 34 D).

Spicules. Vestigial oxeas, fusiform and slightly curved ( Fig. 34 F), with black axial canal visible with microscopic examination, 47.5 – 87 x 2 µm.

No microscleres.

Remarks. This species of Callyspongia is characterised by the reduced thickness of the oxeas, always 2 μm. No species belonging to the subgenus Callyspongia has been recorded from Hawai’i (van Soest et al. 2011). Callyspongia (C.) serpentina Lamarck, 1814 is very similar to our Hawaiian specimens but the thickness of its oxeas is more variable (up to 6 μm) and primary and secondary fibres of the choanosome are very thin (about 25 μm in diameter) ( Wiedenmayer 1989).

Oxeas

YO-257 58 – (78.2 ± 7.1) – 87 x 2 YO-257-4 47.5 – (59.7 ± 8.3) – 75 x 2 YO-257-5 50 – (60.5 ± 7.8) – 75 x 2

Figures

FIGURE 34. Callyspongia (Callyspongia) sp. A, Sponge on Carijoa riisei; B, The sponge covers the entire axis up to the anthocodiae; C – D, Regular reticulation of polygonal meshes of the ectosome; E, Choanosome with polygonal meshes; F, Oxea and close up of the tips.