Spheciospongia Marshall, 1892

Ubare, Vibha V. & Mohan, P. M., 2018, New Records and Range Extensions of Some Marine Sponges (Porifera: Demospongiae and Homoscleromorpha) from the Andaman Islands, India; Part of the Indo-Burma Biodiversity Hotspot., Zoological Studies 57 (3), pp. 1-15 : 3-4

Genus Spheciospongia Marshall, 1892 Spheciospongia globularis Dendy, 1922

( Figs. 2 and 3 )

Synonyms: Spirastrella globularis Dendy, 1922 (genus transfer)

Material examined: 4 ex., DOSMB 00114- DOSMB 00117, India: Andaman and Nicobar Islands: North Andaman: Diglipur, Coll. P.M.Mohan and Vibha Ubare, 14.xii.2013; 1 ex., DOSMB 00118, India: Andaman and Nicobar Islands: North Andaman: Diglipur, Coll. P.M.Mohan and Vibha Ubare, 29.iii.2014; 1 ex., DOSMB 00119, India: Andaman and Nicobar Islands: North Andaman: Diglipur, Coll. P.M.Mohan and Vibha Ubare, 30.vii.2014; 1 ex., DOSMB 00120, India: Andaman and Nicobar Islands: Middle Andaman: Mayabunder, Coll. Vibha Ubare, 15.xii.2013.

Description: Globular head attached to short, slender stalk ( Figs. 2 A-B). The head measures 20.2-49.9 mm in size while the stalk is 20.2 mm in length and 13.4 mm in width. The coloration of live specimens is dull yellow, which turns to pale yellow after preservation in ethanol. The surface is granular and uneven. The oscules are very minute in shape and range from 0.5-2.4 mm in diameter. The texture of sponge is firm, incompressible and compact.

Spicules: Megascleres- Tylostyles are present in the variable size ranges. The larger tylostyle ( Fig. 2C 1 ) is somewhat curved with globular head measuring 450.0-547.0/6.0-24.0 µm, the medium sized tylostyle ( Fig. 2C2 ) is straight and measures 296.0-360.0/11.0-19.0 µm, the smaller sized tylostyles ( Fig. 2C 3 ) are similar to the medium sized tylostyle and ranges 187.0-215.0/9.0- 11.0 µm. Microscleres- Slender spinispire ( Fig. 2C 4 ), bended two to three times, some are thick and thin in width. The size ranges from 11.0- 23.0/1.5-2.0 µm.

Skeleton: Shows irregular reticulation of stout, loose spicular tracts; spongin is very rarely present. Spicules are scattered irregularly in the ectosomal and choanosomal region. In the stalk, the skeleton is almost entirely composed of longitudinal bundles and it is closely packed ( Figs. 2 D-F).

Habitat: This species prefers rocky and sandy environments. The base of this species is buried inside the sandy substratum and the globular head with the stalk is present outside the substratum. This species was mostly observed with the sponge Neopetrosia chaliniformis and algae Halimeda spp.

Distribution: India-North Andaman - Diglipur and Middle Andaman-Mayabunder; Elsewhere - Chagos ( Dendy 1922), Seychelles ( Dendy 1922), Indian Ocean ( Schleyer et al. 2006) ( Fig. 3 ).

Remarks: This is the first record of this species in Indian waters; it is a second species of genus Spheciospongia recorded from the Andaman Islands.

Figures

Fig. 2. Spheciospongia globularis (Dendy, 1922). (A) Specimen in situ. (B) Specimen after preservation. (C1) Large sized Tylostyles. (C2) Medium sized Tylostyles. (C3) Small sized Tylostyles. (C4) Spiraster. (D) Longitudinal section. (E) Longitudinal section. (F) Transverse section.

Fig. 3. Geographical extension of Spheciospongia globularis (Dendy, 1922). © 2018 Academia Sinica, Taiwan

Fig. 1. Study Area.

Fig. 4. Cliothosa aurivilli (Lindgren, 1897). (A) in situ specimen. (B) Papillar connection with the inside body mass of sponge. (C) Space inside the dead coral bored by the sponges. (D1) Thick Tyalostyles. (D2) Thin Tyalostyles. (D3) Amphiaster. (E) Longitudinal section. (F) Transverse section.