Clathria (Axosuberites) hillenburgi, Annunziata & Cavalcanti & Santos & Pinheiro, 2019

Annunziata, Bruno B., Cavalcanti, Thaynã, Santos, George Garcia & Pinheiro, Ulisses, 2019, Two new Clathria (Axosuberites) Topsent, 1893 (Demospongiae: Poecilosclerida) from Northeastern Brazil, Zootaxa 4671 (4), pp. 500-510 : 504-507

Clathria (Axosuberites) hillenburgi n. sp.

(Figs 4,5; Table 1 )

Type locality: Brazil, Paraíba State , Rio Tinto Municipality, Caracabu River , Mamanguape Estuary, Brazil .

Type specimen: Holotype: UFPEPOR 1975, Caracabu River , Mamanguape Estuary (06°46’43.46’’S 34°55’55.61’’W), Rio Tinto Municipality, Paraíba State, Brazil, intertidal (depth 0.5 m), coll. T. Cavalcanti, 11 November 2015.

Diagnosis. Arborescent sponge with styles (I = 270–447 / 6–11 µm; II = 143–236 / 6–10 µm), subtylostyles (193–377 / 2–3 µm), palmate isochelae (12–17 µm) and toxas (24–96 / 1–4 µm).

External morphology ( Fig. 4A ). Arborescent sponge with filiform ramifications, cylindrical branches with 2 x 0.4 cm (length x width). Hispid surface, firm and compressible consistency. Oscula not observed. Red color when alive, and dark brown in 80% ethanol.

Skeleton ( Fig. 4B ). Ectosome with brushes of small subtylostyles (styles II) overlapping the subectosomal spicules. Choanosomal skeleton composed of plumo-reticulate and compressed, extra-axial plumose tracts cored by (subtylo-)styles I. Plumose gaps near the surface. Subectosomal region composed by ascending plumose bundles of auxiliary subtylostyles arising from the peripheral choanosomal skeleton. Microscleres appear to be randomly distributed.

Spicules. Megascleres: (Subtylo-)styles I (270– 371.2 –447 / 6– 7.5 – 11 µm): smooth to microspined, slightly curved, and rounded tyles, smooth to granular microspined tyles in some spicules ( Fig. 5A, D ); (Subtylo-)styles II (143– 179.8 –236 / 6– 8.1 – 10 µm): smooth, slightly curved, and smooth, some styles II have microspined tyles ( Fig. 5B, F ); Subtylostyles (193– 307.6 –377 / 2– 2.5 – 3 µm): smooth, slender, straight, microspined tyles ( Fig. 5C, E ); Microscleres: Palmate isochelae (12– 14.6 – 17 µm): slightly curved axis and short alae ( Fig. 5G ); Toxas (24– 57.3 –96 / 1– 2.0 – 4 µm): wing shaped, smooth, and slender ( Fig. 5H ).

Distribution and ecology. Known only from the type locality: Caracabu River/Estuary (Rio Tinto Municipality, Paraíba State, Brazil), intertidal. Found in a mangrove area on roots of Rhizophora sp.

Etymology. The specific name is in honor to Stephen M. Hillenburg, marine biologist and creator of the cartoon character ‘SpongeBob SquarePants’.

Remarks. Clathria (Axosuberites) hillenburgi n. sp. is characterized by a spicule arrangement with (subtylo-)styles I and II, auxiliary subtylostyles, toxa and palmate isochelae. The new species resembles to Clathria (A.) flabellata (Topsent, 1916) and Clathria (A.) georgiaensis Hooper, 1996 (from the Antarctic Peninsula) by having two categories of styles and/or subtylostyles, toxas and palmate isochelae. However, Clathria (A.) hillenburgi n. sp. is distinguished from Clathria (A.) flabellata and Clathria (A.) georgiaensis due having shorter styles and toxas (see Table 1 ). Differences in megascleres categories among the new species and Clathria (A.) benguelaensis Samaai & Gibbons, 2005 , Clathria (A.) nidificata ( Kirkpatrick, 1907) include the number of megascleres categories (two in the new species and four in the others). Clathria (Axosuberites) hillenburgi n. sp. distinguished from Clathria (A.) marplatensis ( Cuartas, 1992) , Clathria (A.) pachyaxia ( Lévi, 1960) , Clathria (A.) papillata Van Soest, Beglinger & De Voogd, 2013 , Clathria (A.) ramea ( Koltun, 1964) , and Clathria (A.) rosita Goodwin, Brewin & Brickle, 2012 by having two categories of styles and one of subtylostyle versus two categories of styles in the others. The new species differs from C. (A.) aurantia n. sp., C. (A.) riosae Van Soest, 2017 and C. (A.) papillata Van Soest, Beglinger & De Voogd, 2013 by the absence of toxas. Clathria (A.) canaliculata and C. (A.) cylindrica have two categories of palmate isochelae, while the new species has only one category. Similarly, C. (A.) fromontae , C. (A.) macrotoxa , C. (A.) multitoxaformis and C. (A.) thetidis have two size categories of toxas, while C. (Axosuberites) hillenburgi n. sp. has only one category. Finally, the new species is distinguished from Clathria (A.) patula ( Hooper, 1996) by having three categories of styles.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Clathria (Axosuberites) hillenburgi n. sp. (UFPEPOR 1975). A, preserved specimen; B, cross section showing the ectosome and choanosome. Scale bars: A = 2.5 cm; B = 500 μm.

FIGURE 5. Clathria (Axosuberites) hillenburgi n. sp. (UFPEPOR 1975). A, choanosomal principal styles (I); B, choanosomal principal styles (II); C, subectosomal subtylostyles; D, styles I detail; E, subtylostyles detail; F, styles II detail; G, palmate isochelae; H, toxas. Scale bars: A, C = 100 μm; B, D–F, H = 50 μm; G = 20 μm.