Ecionemia novaezealandiae (Dendy 1924)

Kelly, Michelle & Sim-Smith, Carina, 2012, A review of Ancorina, Stryphnus, and Ecionemia (Demospongiae, Astrophorida, Ancorinidae), with descriptions of new species from New Zealand waters, Zootaxa 3480, pp. 1-47 : 17-18

Ecionemia novaezealandiae (Dendy 1924)

( Fig. 1 G–H, 3, 5F–K, 8; Table 2)

Ancorina novae -zelandiae Dendy, 1924: 301, Pl. VIII, Fig. 8 –15b. Ancorina acervus, Bergquist (1968: 38) .

Material examined. Three Kings Islands region: NIWA 44427: NZOI Stn B93, east of Three Kings Islands, 34.000° S, 172.500° E, 55–91 m, 22 Sep 1958; NIWA 44442: NZOI Stn E289, south of Three Kings Islands, 34.333° S, 172.100° E, 190 m, 8 Apr 1965; NIWA 43927: NZOI Stn F922, north of Three Kings Islands, 33.983° S, 172.267° E, 117 m, 13 Oct 1968; NIWA 43973: NZOI Stn C760, Great Island, 34.180° S, 172.140° E, 84 m, 18 Feb 1962; NIWA 44480: NZOI Stn C763, north of Three Kings, 33.967° S, 172.293° E, 73–77 m, 18 Feb 1962; NIWA 43907: NZOI Stn E842, north of Three Kings Islands, 33.900° S, 172.283° E, 224 m, 16 Mar 1968; NIWA 44483: NZOI Stn C759, Great Island, 34.195° S, 172.165° E, 99 m, 18 Feb 1962; Western continental shelf, Northland: NIWA 52785: NIWA Stn J953, west of Ninety Mile Beach, 34.660º S, 172.218º E, 270 m, 18 Jun 1981; Spirits Bay, Northland: NIWA 51242: KAH9901/33 (Z9681), 34.315° S, 172.818° E, 63 m, 26 Jan 1999; NIWA 51365: KAH9901/58 (Z9694), 34.376° S, 172.995° E, 65 m, 27 Jan 1999; NIWA 51599: KAH9901/89 (Z9713), 34.375° S, 172.928° E, 65 m, 29 Jan 1999; North Cape/East Northland: NIWA 44492: NZOI Stn P441, north of Cape Reinga, 34.400° S, 172.273° E, 120 m, 20 Jun 1978; NIWA 62156: 3 miles east of North Cape, 34.414° S, 173.134° E; 133 m, 19 Apr 1999, additional vouchers are in the CRRF reference collection (0 CDN 6696-N) and at the USNM ( USNM 1182993); NIWA 44500: NIWA Stn KAH9720/18, South of Mokohinau Islands, 35.982° S, 175.109° E, 81–84 m, 30 October 1997; Bay of Plenty, East Cape region: NIWA 43898, NIWA 44164: NZOI Stn V473, Gisborne Canyon, 38.849° S, 178.613° E, 850 m, 5 Jun 1994; NIWA 44098: NZOI Stn J711, 37.250° S, 176.834° E, 366 m, 11 Sep 1974; NIWA 70621, NIWA 44167: NZOI Stn X138, 37.250° S, 176.841° E, 335 m, 27 Nov 1989; NIWA 62157: NIWA Stn TAN0413/138, Mahia Knoll, 37.316° S, 177.075° E, 466–495 m, 14 Nov 2004; NIWA 62158: NIWA Stn TAN0413/173, Mahia Knoll, 37.351° S, 177.099° E, 272–434 m, 16 Nov 2004; NIWA 63024: TAN1004/2, Southern Hikurangi Margin, 41.671° S, 175.625° E, 635–640 m, 15 Apr 2010; Chatham Rise: NIWA 43981, NIWA 43982, NIWA 44090, NIWA 44093, NIWA 44096, NIWA 44161: NZOI Stn D899, 44.383° S, 176.817° E, 370 m, 29 Mar 1969; NIWA 44094: NIWA Stn TAN9701/61, 44.133° S, 179.103° W, 355 m, 14 Jan 1997; NIWA 44162: NIWA Stn Z10612 , 44.0367° S, 179.061° W, 306 m, 5 Jan 2001; NIWA 44166: NZOI Stn Q25, 44.437° S, 176.640° W, 360 m, 22 Mar 1978; NIWA 44185: NZOI Stn Q20, 44.160°S, 179.237° W, 320 m, 17 Mar 1978; NIWA 44188: NIWA Stn TAN9701/32, 43.348° S, 177.551° W, 311 m, 8 Jan 1997; NIWA 44221, NIWA 44510: NIWA Stn TAN9701/101, 43.444° S, 177.537° E, 298–325 m, 22 Jan 1997; NIWA 44564, NIWA 44565: NZOI Stn G307, 44.117° S, 179.217° W, 402 m, 26 Jan 1968; NIWA 48505: NIWA Stn TAN0901/36, 43.260° S, 178.502° W, 401 m, 3 Jan 2009; NIWA 62159: NIWA Stn TAN0501/094, 44.349° S, 176.148° E, 330–338 m, 8 Sep 2008; NIWA 62160: NIWA Stn TAN0401/035, 43.209° S, 177.499° E, 371–376 m, 3 Jan 2004; NIWA 62161: NIWA Stn TAN0401/058, 44.123° S, 179.043° E, 357–365 m, 8 Jan 2004; NIWA 70532: NIWA Stn TAN1101/54, 43.213° S, 177.498° W, 365–374 m, 13 Jan 2011; NIWA 70622, NIWA 44088, NIWA 44187: NZOI Stn Q38, 44.413° S, 176.727° W, 345 m, 24 Mar 1978; NIWA 62445: NIWA Stn TAN0601/ 26, 43.856° S, 179.235° W, 287–311 m, 1 Jan 2006; NIWA 62446: NIWA Stn TAN0701/116, 43.451° S, 176.725° E, 255 m, 18 Jan 2007; NIWA 76418: NIWA Stn TAN0601/24, 44.122° S, 179.038° W, 358 m, 0 1 Jan 2006; NIWA 62445: NIWA Stn TAN0601/26, 43.856° S, 179.235° W, 287 m. 0 1 Jan 2006. Other material. Ancorina novaezelandiae : NHMUK 1923.10.1.30 (Holotype), wet subsample from R. N. X; NHMUK 1923.10.1.228, NHMUK 1923.10.1.229, microscope slides from R. N. X, Terra Nova Stn 90, Three Kings Islands, 183 m, British Antarctic ( Terra Nova) Expedition, 1910, 16 Jul –24 Sep 1911.

Type locality. Southwest of the Three Kings Islands.

Distribution. Three Kings Islands, North Cape, Bay of Plenty, Southern Hikurangi Margin, Chatham Rise.

Description. Massive sponge with two distinct forms: 1) typical form in all locations south of the Bay of Plenty, generally pumpkin-shaped, up to 200 mm diameter, covered with 20–40 mm rounded lobes ( Fig. 1 G). Oscules are clustered in an apical depression, the margin of which is thick, raised and undulating; 2) form found only in northern New Zealand locations, club-shaped (e.g. NIWA 52785), tuberose or multi-lobed (e.g. NIWA 62156) ( Fig. 1 H). Oscules are also clustered in an apical depression on each lobe. The surface in both forms is smooth, texture hard, slightly compressible, surface granular. Colour in life is cream, interior is tan, colour darkens to brown upon exposure to air. Colour in ethanol is beige to greyish brown. NIWA 62156 is encrusted with a species of Pachastrella incrustata Bergquist.

Skeleton. Overall skeletal arrangement is strongly radial in the outer 15–20 mm of the sponge. In tuberose and stalked forms, a thick tract of oxeas forms an axis within the center of the lobes, extending into the stalk of clubshaped specimens. Ectosome, barely evident, 50–70 µm thick, but demarcated by the presence of pigmented cells, aquiferous canals, and a dense undulating surface crust of acanthomicrorhabds. Numerous small oxeas are present in the ectosome, arranged perpendicular to the surface. The upper half of these oxeas project well beyond the surface, and are accompanied by the larger choanosomal oxeas and triaenes, producing a densely hispid surface. Chiasters and smaller spherochiasters are moderately abundant in the ectosome below the acanthomicrorhabds crust, and are lightly scattered throughout the choanosome. The choanosomal skeleton consists of bundles of large oxeas and triaenes that radiate strictly in the outer choanosome expanding to form brushes under the surface, and extending well beyond the surface in patches. Chiasters are uncommon and confined to the choanosome.

Spicules. Megascleres ( Fig. 5 F–H) are oxeas I, choanosomal, long, stout, fusiform, with sharply pointed ends, usually slightly curved, 3077 (2115–4024) x 65 (42–89) µm; oxeas II, ectosomal, short, slender, fusiform, usually straight with sharply pointed ends, 865 (602–1146) x 14 (9–18) µm; plagiotriaenes ( Fig. 5 F), very long with a stout, conical rhabdome, 3120 (2363–4146) µm long. Cladi are short and stout, 269 (219–346) µm long, and point upwards at an angle of 45°, total cladome width is 410 (323–505) µm; anatriaenes ( Fig. 5 G), long and slender, 3882 (270–6026) µm long, with a small cladome, 137 (108–218) µm wide; promesotriaenes ( Fig. 5 H), long and very slender, 3141 (2957–3286) µm, with tapered and slightly recurved clads, 140 (129–146) µm long, longer middle clad 164 µm, total cladome width 221 (185–247) µm. Promesotriaenes were uncommon (only four were found in the holotype) and were not present in other specimens of E. novaezealandiae examined.

Microscleres ( Fig. 5 I–K) are chiasters ( Fig. 5 I) with about 12 smooth, slender rays that terminate in a cluster of recurved spines, 8 (7–11) µm diameter; spherochiasters ( Fig. 5 J), with an enlarged centrum and numerous short blunt rays, each ending in a knob of irregularly orientated spines, 5 (4–6) µm diameter; a canthomicrorhabds ( Fig. 5 K), bean-shaped with a straight axis and broadly rounded ends, acanthose, occasionally centrally thickened to centrotylote, 7 (5–8) µm long.

Substrate, depth range, and ecology. Attached to rocky substrate, or if stalked, buried basally in sediment. Found between 65– 850 m.

Remarks. As in E. alata , there are two forms of E. novaezelandiae . The first is a spherical knobbed form with a broad apical oscular depression; this form typifies specimens from the Bay of Plenty south to the Chatham Rise. The second form is a club-shaped or tuberose, typical of northern New Zealand locations (NIWA 62156, 52785, etc). The spicule dimensions of each form are identical and the skeletal arrangement is very similar, with a strongly radial arrangement at the surface.

Dendy (1924) suggested that the complement and dimensions of spicules in his species A. novaezealandiae were very similar to that of the Indo-Pacific sponge, E. acervus , but he differentiated between the two species on the following features: 1) the occurrence of plagiotriaenes in A. novaezealandiae and orthotriaenes in E. acervus , 2) the lack of tylasters in E. acervus , 3) the occurrence of smooth microrhabds in A. novaezealandiae and tuberculate microrhabds in E. acervus , and, 4) the presence of promesotriaenes in A. novaezealandiae . Bergquist (1968) refuted Dendy’s distinctions, synonmyising A. novaezealandiae with E. acervus on the following grounds: 1) both species contained a mixture of ortho- and plagiotriaenes, 2) E. acervus did possess tylasters, and 3) the microrhabds of both species were very similar, and thay they were typical of species of Ecionemia . Although Dendy’s specimen of A. novaezealandiae did possess the rare promesotriaenes that E. acervus lacked, Bergquist concluded that these were variants of anatriaenes rather than a definite spicule category.

Examination of specimens of Dendy’s (1924) A. novaezealandiae , numerous other specimens from around New Zealand, and comparison with specimens of E. acervus in MK’s possession from Vietnam, Philippines, Suluwesi, Pohnpei, Palau, West Papua, Papua New Guinea, and Maldives, leads us to conclude that: 1) A. novaezealandiae is a species of Ecionemia , as it has a skeletal architecture similar to that of E. alata and very different from other New Zealand Ancorina (see Fig. 3 ), it has microrhabds, and it lacks the large oxyasters category found in Ancorina ; 2) E. novaezealandiae is distinct from E. acervus , based on details of spiculation, spicule dimensions (Table 2), and on morphological characters and geographic distribution. Ecionemia acervus is a common, shallow water tropical species, broadly distributed across the Indo-Pacific region (MK unpublished data), it is typically thickly encrusting or tuberose, with a smooth undulating surface, and oscules are grouped in a slight depression on the surface. The colour in life is brownish orange on the surface with a yellow to gold interior. By contrast, E. novaezealandaie is a relatively deep-water, cold temperate species, found at depths greater than 65 m around New Zealand. It is cream to tan in life, the surface is covered in highly characteristic nodules, and oscules are grouped in a depressed apical cavity with a thick rim. Differences in the spicule measurements between the two species are subtle as E. acervus has a large range of spicule dimensions (Table 2). The most obvious difference is that the ectosomal oxeas of E. novaezealandiae are around three times the size of those of E. acervus . Ecionemia novaezealandiae also has larger choanosomal oxeas, plagiotriaenes, anatriaenes, and slightly smaller microrhabds than E. acervus . We hereby remove A. novaezealandiae from synonymy with E. acervus , and transfer it to the genus Ecionemia on the basis of the skeletal architecture (non-distinct ectosome) and the possession of euasterose micrasters and acanthomicrorhabds.

Figures

FIGURE 1. New Zealand species of Ancorina and Ecionemia: A. Ancorina diplococcus (Dendy, 1924), NIWA 62048, ex situ, scale = 1 cm; B. Ancorina stalagmoides Dendy, 1924, NIWA 49896, ex situ, scale = 5 cm; C. Ancorina bellae sp. nov., holotype NIWA 62005, in situ, scale = 5 cm; D. Ancorina globosa sp. nov., paratype NIWA 62464, preserved, scale = 4 cm; E. Ecionemia alata (Dendy, 1924), NIWA 62217, loaf form, in situ, scale = 10 cm; F. Ecionemia alata (Dendy, 1924), meandering cup form, Spirits Bay, in situ, 80 m, scale = 40 cm; G. Ecionemia novaezealandiae (Dendy, 1924), NIWA 44221, pumpkinshaped form, preserved, scale = 5 cm; H. Ecionemia novaezealandiae (Dendy, 1924), NIWA 62156, tuberose form, ex situ, scale = 5 cm.

FIGURE 3. Generalised skeletal architecture for species of Ancorina, Stryphnus, Ecionemia and Stellettinopsis (not to scale). Illustration of Ancorina from histological section of A. diplococcus (Dendy, 1924), illustration of Stryphnus from histological section of S. poculum sp. nov., illustration of Ecionemia from histological section of E. alata (Dendy, 1924), and illustration of Stellettinopsis from image of histological sections of S. megastylifera in Cárdenas et al. (2009: Fig. 5 E, F).

FIGURE 5. Megascleres and microscleres of New Zealand species of Ecionemia: Ecionemia alata, NIWA 52981: A. plagiotriaene, scale = 500 µm; B – C. anatriaenes, scale = 100 µm; D. chiaster with recurved spines, scale = 5 µm; E. acanthomicrorhabd, scale = 5 µm. Ecionemia novaezealandiae, NIWA 62156: F. plagiotriaene, scale = 500 µm; G. anatriaene, scale = 100 µm; H. promesotriaene, scale = 100 µm; I. chiaster with recurved spines, scale = 5 µm; J. spherochiaster, scale = 5 µm; K. acanthomicrorhabd, scale = 5 µm.

FIGURE 8. Global distribution of Stryphnus, Ancorina, Ecionemia and Stellettinopsis species. Inset = distribution around New Zealand.