Ircinia gapaensis, Sim & Lee & Kim, 2016

Sim, Chung Ja, Lee, Kyung Jin & Kim, Hyung June, 2016, Nine new species of genus Ircinia (Demospongiae: Dictyoceratida: Irciniidae) from Korea, Journal of Species Research 5 (3), pp. 483-497 : 484

3. Ircinia gapaensis n. sp. ( Figs. 3 , 4 )

Type specimen. Holotype (NIBRIV0000554222), Korea: Gapado, Daejeong­eup, Seogwipo­si , Jeju­do, 29 Sep 2014, Kim HS, by SCUBA, Depth 15­18 m, deposited in the NIBR.

Description. A massive, round, size up to 9 × 8 × 4 cm. Surface, low mammilate form with conules. Oscules, 2­4 mm in diameter, opened at end of mammilate. Colour in life grayish beige. Texture very soft and compressible.

Skeleton: Primary fibres near surface, 300-400 μm in diameter, cored with sparse small sands. Two kinds of secondary fibres at conules, 200­500 μm in diameter, bridged branch type and V shape of secondary web. Secondary web have irregularly arranged mesh net. Primary fibres in choanosome, 300­500 μm in diameter, cored with sands and secondary fibres, 250-400 μm in diameter. Primary and secondary fibres have numerous perforation, loose network and amber colour. Filaments, 3­5 μm in diameter, terminal knobs, 15 μm in diameter.

Etymology. This species is named after the type locality Gapado, Jejudo Island.

Remark. This new species is similar to Ircinia bakusi n. sp. in shape, but differs in skeletal structure. Primary and secondary fibres of this new species have numerous and large perforation and cored with sands sparsely.

Figures

Fig. 3. Ircinia gapaensis n. sp.A, entire animal; B, C, skeletal structure in conules; D­F, subdermal skeletal structure. Scale bars:A=2 cm, B, F=200 μm, C-E=100 μm.

Fig. 4. Ircinia gapaensis n. sp. A, B, choanosome skeletal structure; C, D, perforated fibres at the choanosome. Scale bars:A-D =100 μm.