Haliclona (Reniera) parvuloxea, Bispo & Willenz & Hajdu, 2022

Bispo, André, Willenz, Philippe & Hajdu, Eduardo, 2022, Diving into the unknown: fourteen new species of haplosclerid sponges (Demospongiae: Haplosclerida) revealed along the Peruvian coast (Southeastern Pacific), Zootaxa 5087 (2), pp. 201-252 : 234-236

publication ID

https://doi.org/ 10.11646/zootaxa.5087.2.1

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4B472D23-386F-497F-A6DA-8867C081D6D8

DOI

https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.5824055

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/0A10034B-297E-0D69-7DC7-FA4A6DC9FD26

treatment provided by

Plazi

scientific name

Haliclona (Reniera) parvuloxea
status

sp. nov.

Haliclona (Reniera) parvuloxea View in CoL sp. nov.

( Figure 11 View FIGURE 11 , Table 3 View TABLE 3 )

Holotype. MNRJ 13044 View Materials (Vouchers: RBINS-IG 32241 -POR 13044, MHNG 85832 View Materials )— Punta Capones, Mangroves of Tumbes, Tumbes Region (03°24’05.30” S, 80°18’ 18.00” W), intertidal, coll. Y. Hooker, Ph. Willenz & K.M. Pretell Monzón (27/XI/2009). GoogleMaps

Diagnosis. The only Haliclona in the Eastern Pacific with a combination of encrusting habit, presence of blind fistules, lobate projections frequently bifurcating, with an apical oscula, colour alive yellow; isotropic to isodictyal unispicular skeleton, and oxeas 62–91µm in length.

Description ( Fig. 11A, B View FIGURE 11 ). Encrusting, with abundant, short, up to 5 mm high, cylindrical or irregular, frequently bifurcate, lobate projections; several blind fistules present; often with small, circular, apical oscula, 0.4–1.3 mm in diameter. Surface smooth, shiny out of water. Consistency soft. Colour in life yellow.

Skeleton ( Fig. 11C–E View FIGURE 11 ). Ectosome an isodictyal to isotropic, unispicular reticulation. Choanosome an isotropic, unispicular reticulation, more regular in some parts, isodictyal; in others somewhat disorganized. Mesohyl heavily pigmented, rendering a brownish colour that even hampers skeleton observation. Spongin scarce, at the nodes of the reticulation when present.

Spicules ( Fig. 11F, G View FIGURE 11 ). Oxeas, slender, subtly bent at centre, short acerate points, dimensions 62– 80 –91 x 1.0– 2.5 –4.0 µm (n = 40 x 20).

Ecology. Intertidal, epibiotic over unidentified mangrove tree roots.

Distribution ( Fig. 3D View FIGURE 3 ). Only known from its type locality, in the mangroves of Tumbes, in Peru.

Etymology. The epithet comes from the L. parvulus (= very little), in reference to the overall small dimensions of oxeas in this species, smaller than in other Peruvian haplosclerids.

Remarks. Little is known of the sponge biodiversity in mangroves along the Tropical Eastern Pacific ( Cortés et al. 2009). Unsurprisingly, this is the only yellow Haliclona , with small oxeas, from mangrove habitats in the Tropical Eastern Pacific. Other congeners from the tropical sector of the Peruvian coast include H. (Halich.) marcoriosi sp. nov. and H. (Halich.) multiosculata sp. nov. ( Table 3 View TABLE 3 ), albeit their dissimilarities in colour, shape, spicule dimensions and habitat differentiate these species from H. (Re.) parvuloxea sp. nov. Comparison with H. (Rh.) manglarensis sp. nov, also occurring in the Tumbes mangrove, is made in the Remarks section of that species.

Yellowish-coloured Haliclona spp. in the Eastern or Central Pacific are H. (Rh.) anceps , H. (S.) auletta , H. (Halicl.) macropora, H. (Halich.) mokuoloea (de Laubenfels, 1950), H. siphonella ( Thiele, 1905) , H. (Halicl.) spinosella , and H. translucida ( Table 3 View TABLE 3 ). They all are readily distinguished from H. (Re.) parvuloxea sp. nov. due to the latter’s small-sized oxeas, 62–91 µm long, in addition to several differences in the habit of these species ( Thiele 1905; Hajdu et al. 2013).

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