Cliona varians ( Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 )

Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, Zootaxa 5031 (1), pp. 1-112 : 27

Cliona varians ( Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)

Tables 6, 7; Figs 19A–B , 36A

Synonymy and references: Thalysias varians Duchassaing & Michelotti (1864: 86) ; Anthosigmella varians de Laubenfels (1936: 143 ; Pang 1973: 47―references therein); Gómez & Green (1984:83); Gómez (2002:71); (non) Anthosigmella varians Wells et al. (1960: 55) ; Suberites tuberculosus Schmidt (1870: 46) ; Suberites coronarius Carter (1882: 352) ; (non) Suberites coronarius Carter (1897: 74) ; Spirastrella coronaria Topsent (1894: 26) ; Anthosigmella coronarius Topsent (1918: 557) ; (non) Cliona coronaria Dendy (1916: 132) ; Papillina arcuata Topsent (1889: 35) ; Cliona varians ( Hajdu et al. 2011; Muricy et al. 2011 ―references therein).

Type locality. Guadeloupe, U.S. Virgin Islands ( St. Thomas ) and St. Barthelemy.

Material examined. CNPGG-2168, Cayo Arcas reef (20.19491°N, - 91.95741°W), 8 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 24 April 2018 ; CNPGG-2188, Cayo Arcas reef (20.21636°N, - 91.97747°W), 9.1 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 18 August 2018 .

Distribution. Gulf of Mexico ( Topsent 1889; Gómez 2002; Rützler et al. 2009; De la Cruz-Francisco & Bandala-Pérez 2016; current records), several localities in the Caribbean and Brazilian regions ( Hajdu et al. 2011; Muricy et al. 2011 and references therein).

Remarks. This species was previously known from SGoM ( Topsent 1889; De la Cruz-Francisco & Bandala- Pérez 2016―only list of species) and it is common in Caribbean and Brazilian regions. The external morphology of our material of C. varians is very similar to that of other specimens known from the GoM (Topsent 1989; Gómez 2002), the Caribbean region ( Gómez & Green 1984; Zea et al. 2021) and Brazil as well (e.g., Hajdu et al. 2011). However, microscleres could not be observed by us in this study. Microscleres are either not common in our material, or are located in particular regions of the sponge body, which were not assessed during spicule preparation. Topsent (1889), Gómez & Green (1984) and Gómez (2002) reported the presence of microscleres in their respective materials.

Figures

FIGURE 19. Cliona varians (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (CNPGG-2188), spicules: A–B. tylostyles. Scale bars: A–B = 100 µm.

FIGURE 36. In situ photographs of species analyzed in the present study: A. Cliona varians (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (CNPGG-2188); B. Cliona flavifodina Rützler, 1974 (CNPGG-2386); C. Spirastrella coccinea (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (CNPGG-2414); D. Spirastrella mollis Verrill, 1907 (CNPGG-2424), oscule detail zoomed in; E. Placospongia ruetzleri van Soest, 2017 (CNPGG-2391); F. Callyspongia (Callyspongia) fallax Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 (CNPGG-2239); G. Callyspongia (Chladochalina) armigera (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (CNPGG-2179); H. Callyspongia (Chladochalina) armigera (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (CNPGG-2223); I. Callyspongia (Chladochalina) armigera (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (CNPGG-2399); J. Chalinula aff. molitba (de Laubenfels, 1949) (CNPGG-2359), surface detail zoomed in (arrow pointing to a specimen of Timea stenosclera Hechtel, 1969); K. Haliclona (Reniera) chlorilla Bispo, Correia & Hajdu, 2016 (CNPGG-2192); L. Haliclona (Soestella) caerulea (Hechtel, 1965) (CNPGG-2396); M. Amphimedon compressa Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 (CNPGG-2403); N. Amphimedon viridis Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 (CNPGG-2477); O. Niphates erecta Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 (CNPGG-2374), surface detail zoomed in; Scale bars, A–O = 1 cm.