Iphiteon panicea Bowerbank, 1869

Diaz, Maria Cristina, Nuttall, Marissa, Pomponi, Shirley A., Ruetzler, Klaus, Klontz, Sarah, Adams, Christi, Hickerson, Emma L. & Schmahl, G. P., 2023, An annotated and illustrated identification guide to common mesophotic reef sponges (Porifera, Demospongiae, Hexactinellida, and Homoscleromorpha) inhabiting Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and vicinities, ZooKeys 1161, pp. 1-68 : 1

Iphiteon panicea Bowerbank, 1869

Fig. 65

Diagnostic features.

Massive, flabellate, white, glass sponge, attached to a rock. The white elongated zoanthid, Vitrumanthus schrieri Kise et al., 2022, was partially overgrowing its surface. The skeleton study of the white hexactinellid (GFOE- 23) revealed a dictyonal, siliceous, rectangular to triangular framework, and spicules that agree with Iphiteon panicea as described by Reiswig (2002: 1299). What appears to be a portion of this specimen with a bright yellow color in life turned dark purple in alcohol, and it was stored as a different sample (GFOE3- 23A). Under a light microscope, the bright yellow hexactenillid appears to be a Dactylocalycidae skeletal framework, covered by thin tissue with no fibers or spicules (Fig. 51B, C ). The color pattern in life and in alcohol and the type of cells and chambers suggest that this yellow tissue might represent a skeleton-less verongiid of the family Ianthellidae . The hexactinellid portion of yellow color area lacked any microscleres; this would suggest that the hexactinellid might have been dead, which would make the yellow species a potential epibiont for this hexactinellid. More study is required to clarify the identity of this apparent yellow hexatinellid. The trabecular surface is evident on the deck photograph (Fig. 65B ) with round to elongate pits or grooves (2-10 mm in diameter), possibly exhalant apertures ( Reiswig 2002).

Similar species.

When zoanthids are extended the species can look like the hexactinellid Verrucocoeloidea liberatorii Reiswig & Dohrmann, 2014.

Distribution and abundance.

This species has a northwestern Caribbean distribution (88-1957 m deep). At FGBNMS the species was collected once at Elvers Bank.

Ecology.

Lower mesophotic reefs, sandy bottoms. The zoanthid Vitrumanthus schrieri ( Parazoanthidae ) was originally described in association with the glass sponge Verrucocoeloidea liberatorii . In this sample, the identity of the zoanthid was obtained by barcoding data (28S gene) (Iris Segura, pers. comm., 2022).

Identification.

MCD.

References.

Kise et al. 2022; Reiswig and Dorhrmann 2014; Reiswig 2002.

Figures

Figure 51. Verongula reiswigi at 76 m deep. Photo code SP 58.

Figure 65. A In-situ photo of 147 m deep. Samples GFOE 3 - 23 (white) and GFOE- 23 A (yellow) B lab photo of the specimen.