Calyx podatypa (de Laubenfels, 1934 )

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 : 45-46

Calyx podatypa (de Laubenfels, 1934)

Tables 6, 7; Figs. 39A–D

Synonymy and references: Haliclona podatypa de Laubenfels (1934: 23) ; Calyx podatypa: Rützler et al. (2014: 86) , Pérez et al. (2017: 10), and van Soest. (2017: 41); Haliclona podatypa ,? Calyx podatypa , Calyx cf. podatypa and? Pachypellina podatypa , see references compiled in van Soest. (2017: 41).

Type locality. Puerto Rico .

Material examined. CNPGG-2246, Triangulo Oeste reef (20.951783°N, 92.309633°W), 23 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 09 September 2017 .

Description. Encrusting habit and cushion shaped, cavernous interior, the massive part is similar to an hourglass figure; measures 3 × 2.3 cm at the base by up to 0.8 cm thick at the middle region. Size of encrusting part, 7 × 3.4 × 1 cm. The surface is smooth without visible pores. Oscules (1–5 mm) scattered or slightly aligned, flush to the surface, or slightly elevated. Color in vivo not recorded, whitish beige in ethanol. The consistency is firm but slightly friable.

Skeleton. The ectosomal region is denser than the choanosomal and formed by compacted spicules pointing in all directions, with aligned and rounded subdermal channels, up to 100 µm in diameter ( Fig. 39B ). The choanosomal skeleton is an ill-defined subisodictyal reticulation of spicules interconnected with paucispicular tracts, pierced by large and round channels which are scattered in the choanosomal region, up to 300 µm in diameter ( Fig. 39 A, C ).

Spicules. Megascleres: Oxeas slightly curved and smooth, in a large size range ( Fig. 39 D ). Tips sharp, acerate to telescopic; 130– 154.3 (12.3)–170/3.5– 6.3 (1.5)–8 µm.

Distribution. Mexico (current record), Bahamas ( Wiedenmayer 1977), other countries in the Caribbean Sea and Guyana ( van Soest 2017).

Remarks. This study presents the first record of Calyx podatypa for the GoM. The van Soest (2017) study quotes a discrepancy in some specimens reported for C. podatypa , leading him to re-examine the holotype. He found uniformity in the oxeas, with the shape curved and thin: 117– 133 –144/2.5– 3.8 –5 µm. Our material has a similar shape but slightly larger and thicker oxeas 130– 154.3 (12.3)–170/3.5– 6.3 (1.5)–8 µm. All other characteristics fit well; indeed, it has a cavernous choanosome, as Wiedenmayer (1977) described it.

Genus Siphonodictyon Bergquist, 1965

Figures

FIGURE 39. Calyx podatypa (de Laubenfels, 1934) (CNPGG-2246), skeleton and spicules: A. transversal section of the skeleton; B. detail of the ectosomal region; C. detail of the choanosomal region; D. oxeas. Scale bars: A = 500 µm; B–C = 100 µm; D = 25 µm.