New shallow-water sponges (Porifera) from the Galápagos Islands
Author
Sim-Smith, Carina
Author
Hickman, Cleveland
0000-0002-2914-4687
hickman.c@rockbridge.net
Author
Kelly, Michelle
0000-0001-9673-0056
elly@niwa.co.nz
text
Zootaxa
2021
2021-08-02
5012
1
1
71
http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5012.1.1
journal article
10.11646/zootaxa.5012.1.1
1175-5326
5158062
56C6852D-AAE0-4B6B-AB57-919CD62DAEC1
Craniella lissi
sp. nov.
(
Fig. 18
)
Material examined.
Holotype
—
MCCDRS9409,
Las Marielas
,
Isabela Island
,
0.597° S
,
91.092° W
,
15 m
,
2 Dec 2004
.
Type
locality.
Las Marielas
,
Isabela Island
.
Habitat and distribution.
Only known from
type
locality. Found buried in soft, sandy sediment, only upper half of sponge visible;
15 m
.
Description.
Small egg-shaped sponge with a root/beard of spicule strands,
17 mm
long ×
10 mm
in diameter. A small oscule, around
1 mm
in diameter, is present on the apex of the sponge (
Fig. 18A
). Colour in life unknown, colour in alcohol is beige, texture is compressible, surface is smooth.
Skeleton.
Ectosome is well-defined, 350–400 µm deep, and comprises radial brushes of oxeas and protriaenes of two size categories, which protrude beyond the surface of the sponge (
Fig. 18B–C
). Anisoxeas are the most common megasclere. Protrianes II are more common than protriaenes I. Megascleres are sparse in the choanosome, radiating out in tracts. Sigmaspires are sparsely scattered throughout the sponge.
Spicules.
Megascleres—
Oxeas, straight with gradually tapering tips; 1440 (1062–1721) × 19 (12–26) µm (n = 20) (
Fig. 18C
). Anisoxeas, slightly asymmetrical with one wider end that gradually tapers away; 694 (513–851) × 8 (4–14) µm (n = 20). Protriaenes I, with a narrow, U-shaped cladome that has 2–3 clads; 1766 (1743–1789) µm long (n = 3); cladome width 36 (18–48) µm (n = 8) (
Fig. 18F
). Protriaenes II, very fine with long wispy, curved clads; 485 (202–878) µm long (n = 20); cladome width 43 (16–81) µm (n = 20) (
Fig. 18G
). Anatriaenes, 2521 (1558–5046) µm long (n = 6); cladome width 36 (26–55) µm (n = 20) (
Fig. 18E
).
Microscleres—
sigmaspires, 12 (8–15) µm long (n = 20) (
Fig. 18H
).
Etymology.
Named for co-author Cleveland Hickman’s son-in-law Frederic Liss MD, who accompanied Cleve on numerous dive trips and was supportive in the development of the
Galápagos
Marine Life Series of field guides.
Remarks.
Only one species of
Craniella
has been described from the
Galápagos Islands
:
C. wolfi,
Schuster, 2018
, but that species possesses unusual worm-like sigmaspires.
Craniella arb
(
De Laubenfels, 1930
)
from
California
possesses oxeas that are much longer (2000–3000 µm) than those of
C
.
lissi
sp. nov.
Order
Agelasida Hartman