Suberites inti, Cóndor-Luján & Arteaga & Polo & Arroyo & Willenz & Hajdu, 2023

Cóndor-Luján, Báslavi, Arteaga, Alvaro, Polo, Christian, Arroyo, Yessenia, Willenz, Philippe & Hajdu, Eduardo, 2023, Shallow Suberitida (Porifera, Demospongiae) from Peru, Zootaxa 5264 (4), pp. 451-489 : 479-481

Suberites inti sp. nov.

( Figure 10 )

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:6E3BA176-EC86-4F5B-A9A3-5D87B25EC660

Holotype. MNRJ 12869 , San Gallán Island, Paracas , Ica (13°50′19.20′′S 76°28′19.20′′W), 17.5 m depth, coll. Y. Hooker & F. Azevedo, 14.XII.2008.

Type locality. San Gallán Island, Paracas, Ica, Peru.

Diagnosis. Massive-subhemispheric and light orange Suberites with skeleton exclusively composed of straight tylostyles in two size categories (I: 235–457 x 5–11 μm; II: 423–661 x 8–13 μm), organised in ectosomal bouquets and apparent choanosomal multispicular sub(tylostyles) tracts.

Description. Massive, occasionally centrally compressed (2 x 6 cm, Fig. 10A ). Oscula small (diam. <2 mm) and grouped, slightly elevated. A few tiny projections, conule-like, might be contracted short oscular chimneys ( Fig. 10B ). Surface smooth and velvety. Compressible consistency.

Colour. Light orange-yellowish in life ( Fig. 10A, B ) and dirty white in ethanol.

Skeleton. Ectosomal, a dense field of bouquets composed of small tylostyles ( Fig. 10C, D ). Choanosomal, loose multispicular tracts of tylostyles, further obscured by many spicules strewn in confusion ( Fig. 10E ).

Spicules. Megascleres. Tylostyles I, small, ectosomal, straight and with sharp acerate apex ( Fig. 10F ), 235–321.5(±54.9)–457 x 5–7.7(±1.6)–11 μm. Tylostyles II, large, choanosomal, straight, and with sharp acerate apex ( Fig. 10G ), 423–515.9(±62.3)–661 x 8–10.8(±1.4)–13 μm. Tyles are pronounced and can be subterminal (subtylostyles) (I: 9–13 μm; II: 11–17 μm)

Etymology. From inti =sun in Quechua (indigenous Peruvian language) because of its resemblance to the sun in colour (light orange to yellow).

Ecology. This species was attached to rocky substrate, and it was found associated with ophiuroids, crabs, bryozoans, and red algae.

Geographical and bathymetrical distributions. Provisionally endemic to the south coast of Peru ( San Gallán Island ). MEOW in Peru: Humboldtian ecoregion ( Spalding et al. 2007). Subtidal: 18 m.

Remarks. Suberites includes 79 species distributed worldwide ( de Voogd et al. 2022), frequently found in cold temperate waters and inhabiting both shallow and deep waters (van Soest et al. 2002; Samaai et al. 2017). Among the eight Suberites recorded from the Eastern Pacific, S. cranium , S. lambei Austin, Ott, Reiswig, Romagosa & McDaniel, 2014 and S. latus resemble Suberites inti sp. nov. more closely. But despite similarities in skeletal composition (tylostyles), there are notable differences among all, which are detailed below.

Although S. cranium and Suberites inti sp. nov. present similar external morphology, the former has a noticeable ectosomal palisade, whereas the latter presents bouquets in this region. The choanosomal skeleton of S. cranium is mostly confused, lacking clear tracts or fibres; while, in the new species, it is composed of multispicular tracts with some disoriented spicules. Regarding the tylostyles, both species present straight and sharply pointed tylostyles with well-marked tyles, but slightly different size categories. Suberites cranium has shorter tylostyles I (120–288 x 1.6–15 μm) and somewhat larger tylostyles II (296–720 x 4.8–16 μm) compared to Suberites inti sp. nov. (I: 235–457 x 5–11 μm; II: 423–661 x 8–13 μm).

Like S. cranium , S. lambei also possesses an ectosomal palisade and a confused choanoskeleton with moderate spongin and tylostyles without orientation, which diverges with the skeletal structure of Suberites inti sp. nov. Additionally, the Peruvian species has two marked categories of straight (sub)tylostyles, while S. lambei possesses only one spicule category, which can also include sinuous tylostyles. Moreover, the tylostyle shaft in S. lambei can reach 30 μm, but in Suberites inti sp. nov., it does not exceed 13 μm. Another contrasting feature is that S. lambei is cushion-shaped, while Suberites inti sp. nov. is massive and subspherical.

Suberites latus and Suberites inti sp. nov. bear ectosomal bouquets and a confused choanosomal with irregularly distributed multispicular tracts. Nonetheless, they differ in spicule categories. Both tylostyle categories of S. latus can be curved or sinuous and are much smaller (see Table 9) than those of Suberites inti sp. nov. (I: 235–457 x 5–11 μm; II: 423–661 x 8–13 μm), which are always straight. Besides, the skeleton of S. latus can also include microscleres, which are absent in the new Peruvian species.

Suberites inti sp. nov. can be distinguished by the presence of bouquets on the ectosome and multispicular tracts on the choanosome, and the dimensions of its two categories of straight tylostyles.

Figures

FIGURE 10. Suberites inti sp. nov. (MNRJ 12869) A–B, live specimen (right one in A); C, ectosomal skeleton in tangential ground section; D, detail of choanosome; E, skeleton architecture in transverse ground section; F–G, tylostyles I & II respectively; H–I, tylostyles heads of F–G. Scale bars: A, 2 cm; B, 1 cm; C–E, 500 µm; F–G, 100 µm; H–I, 20 µm.