Hyattella cavernosa ( Pallas, 1766 )

Sandes, Joana & Pinheiro, Ulisses, 2014, Dictyoceratida (Porifera: Demospongiae) from Tropical Southwestern Atlantic (Northeastern Brazil, Sergipe State) and the description of three new species, Zootaxa 3838 (4), pp. 445-461 : 458-459

Hyattella cavernosa ( Pallas, 1766)

(Fig. 1–5; Fig. 6 )

Spongia cavernosa Pallas, 1766: 394 .

Hyattella intestinalis , van Soest 1978: 23 [non Hyattella intestinalis (Lamarck, 1814: 439) ]. For additional synonymy see Muricy et al. (2011)

Specimens examined. UFSPOR63, off Pirambu (10º45’36’’S 36º36’08’’W), Sergipe State, Brazil, 20 m depth, coll. Cosme Assis and Damião Assis, July 2002; UFSPOR28, UFSPOR42, UFSPOR46, UFSPOR50, UFSPOR51, UFSPOR69, UFSPOR110, off Pirambu (10º45’36’’S 36º36’08’’W), Sergipe State, Brazil, 20 m depth, coll. Cosme Assis and Damião Assis, July 2003; UFSPOR41, off Pirambu (10º49’47’’S 36º32’10’’W), Sergipe State, Brazil, 30 m depth, coll. Cosme Assis and Damião Assis, July 2002; UFSPOR22, UFSPOR32, UFSPOR33, UFSPOR43, off Pirambu (10º49’47’’S 36º32’10’’W), Sergipe State, Brazil, 30 m depth, coll. Cosme Assis and Damião Assis, July 2003; UFSPOR60, off Aracaju (11º00’14.56’’S 36º58’39.04’’W), Sergipe State, Brazil, 20 m depth, leg. Petrobras, December 2001; UFSPOR35, UFSPOR36, UFSPOR58, UFSPOR 110, off Aracaju (11º03’14.71’’S 36º54’52.36’’W), Sergipe State, Brazil, 30 m depth, leg. Petrobras, July 2002; UFSPOR79, off Aracaju (11º03’14.71’’S 36º54’52.36’’W), Sergipe State, Brazil, 30 m depth, leg. Petrobras, July 2003 (Fig. 1–5).

External morphology ( Fig. 6 A). Massive to ramose shape, with fragmented specimens. The large one is 11 x 5.5 cm (length x width). Smooth surface, with some irregular regions. The oscules are circular to oval, scattered over the surface. The consistency is very compressible, soft and elastic. Light brown to dark brown color in ethanol.

Skeleton ( Fig. 6 B). Reticulated skeleton composed by fasciculated primary fibers and secondary fibers 40–60 µm and 20–30 µm wide, respectively. Meshes are round to irregular, 150–400 µm in diameter. All the fibers are free from inclusions.

Ecology. The specimens were found 20–30 m deep.

Geographical distribution. Tropical Northwestern Atlantic: Jamaica, Cuba, Panama. On the Brazilian coast: Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Pernambuco, Sergipe, Bahia, Espírito Santo and Rio de Janeiro States ( Muricy et al. 2011, and present study).

Remarks. The genus Hyattella consists of 12 species, of which only Hyattella cavernosa occurs on the Brazilian coast (van Soest et al. 2014, Muricy et al. 2011). This genus is characterized by the presence of lacunose body composed of a reticulated skeleton of spongin fibers with no foreign debris ( Muricy et al. 2008).

The specimens examined show similarity to the other characterizations of Hyattella cavernosa from Caribe (van Soest 1978 as Hyattella intestinalis ) and from Brazil ( Boury-Esnault 1973, Muricy et al. 2008). The only difference between them was the width of primary fibers. The primary fiber width in Boury-Esnault (1973) is the most similar to the specimens examined here (up to 80 µm wide), while in van Soest (1978) and Muricy et al. (2008) the primary fibers are wider (maximum width of 240 µm). Furthermore, the diameter of the meshes in the specimens described by van Soest (1978) and Muricy et al. (2008) is also larger compared to the specimens examined here (up to 1000 µm and 750 µm in diameter, respectively). Nevertheless, these differences are considered here as no more than intraspecific variation.

Figures

FIGURE 6. Hyattella cavernosa (Pallas, 1766). (A) Specimen examined; (B) Fiber skeleton through transverse section. Scale bars: A, 1 cm; B, 205 µm.