Phakellia atypica Lévi, 1961

Alvarez, Belinda, De Voogd, Nicole J. & Soest, Van, 2016, Sponges of the family Axinellidae (Porifera: Demospongiae) in Indonesia, Zootaxa 4137 (4), pp. 451-477 : 461-464

Phakellia atypica Lévi, 1961

( Fig. 2 , 7 )

Phakellia atypica Lévi, 1961: 516 .

Material examined. RMNH POR. 2900, Indonesia, Bali, SE-end Tulamben beach, 8.2778°S., 115.5958°E, 40 m depth, 13 April 2001, #Bal22/NV/ 130401 /181, coll. N.J. de Voogd. RMNH POR. 3053, Indonesia, Bali, N side of Nusa Penida, Tanjung Biasmuntig, 8.6730°S., 115.4869°E, 36 m depth, 20 April 2001, #Bal31/NV/ 200402 /248, coll. N.J. de Voogd. RMNH POR.6561, Indonesia, North Sulawesi, Lembeh Strait, Tanjung Kusukusu, 1.4538°N., 125.2369°E, 16 m depth, 16 February 2012, #LEM31/ 160212 /237, coll. N.J.de Voogd. RMNH POR.6628, Indonesia, North Sulawesi, Lembeh Strait, Pulau Abadi, 1.4336°N., 125.2062°E, 18 m depth, 10 February 2012, #LEM22/ 100212 /096, coll. N.J.de Voogd. ZMA Por. 0 9005, Indonesia, NE coast of Sumba, E of Melolo, Nusa Tenggara, 9.9033°S, 120.725°E, 50 m depth, 15 September 1984, coll. R.W.M. van Soest on Snellius II Expedition, Sta. 061/ V/06, dredge. ZMA Por. 0 9039, Indonesia, Nusa Tenggara, NE coast of Sumba, 9.95°S, 120.6°E, 50 m depth, 16 September 1984, coll. R.W.M. van Soest on Snellius II Expedition, Sta. 068/ V/04, 1.2 m Agassiz trawl. ZMA Por. 10822, Indonesia, Masidan, Kepulauan Aru, Maluku Province, 5.47°S, 134.8983°E, 57 m depth, 26 December 1899, coll. Siboga Expedition, Sta. 274. ZMA Por. 12287, Indonesia, Sapeh Strait, Lesser Sunda Islands, 8.3916°S, 119.073°E, 69 m depth, 14 April 1899, coll. Siboga Expedition, Sta. 049a. ZMA Por. 12332, Indonesia, Sapeh Strait, Lesser Sunda Islands, 8.3916°S, 119.073°E, 69 m depth, 14 April 1899, coll. Siboga Expedition, Sta. 049a.

Description. Shape ( Figs 7 A–C). Fan to cup-shaped, with irregular margins, on narrow peduncle, 3 cm long by 2 cm diameter. Specimens are up to 10 cm long by 11 cm in maximum diameter with walls 2–10 mm thick, but becoming thicker towards the peduncle.

Colour. Orange live. Beige in alcohol.

Consistency. Rough to touch, spiculose, flexible and compressible.

Oscula. External face with minute pores less than 1 mm; inner face with larger pores up to 3 mm diameter regularly distributed.

Surface. External face covered irregularly with conulose and hispid-thin projections up to 1 cm long, single or joined laterally, forming meandroid valleys up to 1 cm high and giving surface a clathrous appearance; membranous transparent skin pierced by minute pores. Inner face, irregularly conulose and with fewer or without long projections. Both inner and outer surface marked by choanosomal longitudinal fibres, especially near the margins. Surface at peduncle area is free of projections; micro-hispid.

Skeleton ( Fig. 7 D). Ectosomal skeleton not specialised. Choanosomal skeleton vaguely plumose to halichondroid; compressed in cross section in some regions of the specimen; without spongin fibres but thick multispicular tracts, up to 1 mm in diameter, loosely packed with interwoven spicules and ‘plumo-echinated’ with single spicules, ascending toward surface, dividing, anastomosing and forming an irregular reticulation. Secondary tracts vague or ill-defined, diverging from main axes, multispicular and slightly plumose.

Specimen Locality Strongyles Styles Toxiform oxeas RMNH POR. Bali 1065.7–2001.8µm 783.3–1255.4µm

2900 (1586.6±254.6) (1068.2±114.5)

x 7.1–14.4µm (10.8±2) x 7.1–16.8µm (10.8±2.5)

RMNH POR. Bali 472.2–1348.8µm 596–1046.8µm 226.1–284.6µm 3053 (1095.1±194.5) (837.3±111.9) (249.8±30.8) [3]

x 8 –16.8µm (13±2.5) x 8.9–23.5µm (14.5±3.5) x 5.4–6.5µm (5.8±0.6) [3]

ZMA Por. Maluku, 837.4–1810.6µm 619.6–1233.5µm 211.9–377.1µm 10822 Indonesia (1326.8±291.6) (943.7±135.5) (306.6±46.5) [17]

x 8 –24.9µm (15.6±4.1) x 7.6–23.2µm (15±4.4) x 2.6–6µm (4.5±1) [17]

ZMA Por. Sunda Islands 965–1839µm (1444.9±255.5) 946.3–1272.4µm

12332 (1116.5±98.1)

x 8.9–20.9µm (16.4±2.9) x 9.1–23.3µm (17.1±3.2)

RMNH POR. North Sulawesi 1072.3–1807.3µm (1504.1) 844–1198.7µm (991.4) 224.8–371.3µm (272.4) 6561 x 6.3–25.4 (14.6)[10] x 4 –20.4µm (12.3)[18] x 3.5–7.0 (5)[6] RMNH North Sulawesi 1053.2–1169.1 (1110.6) 802–1097µm (978.3) 284.8–362µm (322.8) POR.6628 x 3.6–7.3µm (6) [3] x 8.3–25.3µm (16.8) x 2.9–7µm (5.5)[4]

Philippines * 1700–2000µm 1200–1550µm x16–30 µm 200–600µm x4–15 µm

(holotype)

*Data from Lévi (1961) Spicules ( Fig. 7 E, Table 6). Strongyles, sinuous, or irregularly bent; often in horseshoe shape, 1065.7– 2001.8µmx 7.1–14.4 µm. Styles, thin, long, slightly curved, 596–1272 µm x 7.1–23.5 µm. Toxiform oxeas, rare, or absent(not found in all specimens), 211.9–377.1µm.

Remarks. We assigned the material examined to Phakellia atypica Lévi, 1961 , from Philippines, based on the similarities of general shape, skeletal organisation, size of strongyles and styles and the presence of toxiform oxeas with highly pointed tips described for that species. The material examined, however, is variable in terms of external morphology ( Fig. 7 A–C) and spicule composition and dimensions. As admitted by Lévi (1961), the skeleton is not typical of Phakellia and shows affinities to Acanthella or other genera with dictyonellid-like skeleton but lack the characteristic cartilaginous consistency of Acanthella spp.

The material was compared also to Phakellia stelliderma Lévi & Lévi, 1989 from Eastern Philippines, but differs in general shape, which is described as a thin fan, 2 mm thick, with surface marked by a regular choanosomal reticulation. The choanosomal tracts are formed with interwoven strongyles and echinated by very large styles (up to 2 mm in length), and smaller styles (400–700 µm) and projecting through the surface in regular bouquets.

The material was also compared to the type of Phakellia columnata ( Burton, 1928) [fragment of type BMNH 1926.10.1.23, Andaman Sea, examined] from which it differs in external shape, skeletal characteristics, composition and size of spicules.

The species is also very similar in external shape and skeletal architecture to Phakellia labellum ( Lamarck, 1814) from Madagascar [fragment of type, MNHN LBIM DT3385, examined]. In P. l ab e l l um the skeleton is formed only by styles and the strongyles are absent or reduced to thinly styles-transitional to strongyles. The styles are found in two size categories 167.4–253.1 µm x 12.6–18.9 µm and 326.8–1092.7 µm x 6.3–14.3 µm respectively, with the smallest forming a thick palisade at the subectosomal level.

Other valid species of Phakellia from the Western Indo-Pacific Realm according to the WPD (i.e. P. crassistylifera Dendy, 1905: 192 and P. symmetrica Dendy, 1905 ) do not match the diagnosis of Phakellia and probably belong to Stylissa .

Distribution. Philippines, Zamboanga (type locality), Indonesia (Bali, Maluku, Sunda Islands; Lesser Sunda MEOW ecoregion, Fig.2 ). It is also recorded from Taiwan (De Voogd unpublished data). It is found between 36 and 69 m.

Figures

FIGURE 2. Map showing the geographical location of the described species.

FIGURE 7. Phakellia atypica. A, RMNH Por. 2900, in situ at Tulamben beach, Bali. B, RMNH POR. 6561, in situ at Lembeh Strait, C, RMNH POR. 3053, in situ at Nusa Penida Bali. ZMA Por. 10822: D, light microphotograph of skeleton, E, drawing of spicules. Scale bars: D, 500 µm; E, 100 µm. Photos A – C: Nicole de Voogd.