Lissodendoryx (Lissodendoryx) albemarlensis Desqueyroux-Faúndez & van Soest, 1997

Cruz-Barraza, José Antonio, Carballo, José Luis & Aguilar-Camacho, José María, 2023, Taxonomy and molecular phylogenetic position of new species and new records of Coelosphaeridae (Demospongiae: Poecilosclerida) from the Mexican Pacific, Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society 199 (2), pp. 511-532 : 520-521

Lissodendoryx (Lissodendoryx) albemarlensis Desqueyroux-Faúndez & van Soest, 1997

( Figs 6 , 7 )

Synonymy

Lissodendoryx albemarlensis Desqueyroux-Faúndez & van Soest, 1997: 446–448 .

Halichondria isodictyalis Carter, 1882: 285 specimens from ‘ Acapulco’ eastern Pacific, not Caribbean records.

Lissodendoryx isodictyalis Dickinson, 1945: 20–21 (not Halichondria isodictyalis Carter, 1882 ).

Material examined

AHF-1736-49, Bahía San Gabriel , Isla Espíritu Santo ( Golfo de California , BCS), 29° 26’3’’N, 110°21.07’’ intertidal, W. R/V VELERO IV. LACM-1936-22, L35695 D26, Bahía Ballenas Isla Espíritu Santo, (Golfo de California, BCS), 24°27.8’’N, 110°22’ W, 21/III/1936, intertidal, R/V VELERO II, AHF-608-36, revised by Dickinson (1945) . LEB-ICML-UNAM-27, Antiguo Muelle de Atraque (Mazatlán, Sinaloa), 23°11’57’’N, 106°25’15’’W, 14/X/1999, 2 m depth . LEB-ICML- UNAM-183, Isla Talchichitle Estero del Lanchon (Angostura, Sinaloa), 24°54’51’’N, 108°02’33’’W, 10/V/2000, 1 m depth . LEB-ICML-UNAM-190, Isla Altamura (Angostura, Sinaloa), 24°53’20’’N, 108°06’45’’W, 1 m depth, 11/V/2000 . LEB-ICML-UNAM-191, Isla Talchichitle , Estero del Tlacuachon (Angostura, Sinaloa), 1 m depth, 11/V/2000, 24°54’50’’N, 108°06’41’’W . LEB-ICML-UNAM-193, Isleta los Cuartillos (Angostura Sinaloa), 24°56’57’’N, 108°08’34’’W, 11/V/2000, 1 m depth . LEB-ICML-UNAM-232, Estero Zacate, (Topolobampo, Sinaloa) 25°36’25’’N, 109°04’33’’W, 21/ VI/2000, 2 m depth . LEB-ICML-UNAM-720, Puente Maviri (Ahome, Sinaloa), 25°34’55’’N, 109°6’52’’W, 14/XI/2002, 8 m depth . LEB-ICML-UNAM-1018, El Requesón ( Bahía Concepción , BCS), 26°38’38’’N, 111°49’53’’W, 29/X/2006, 9 m depth . LEB-ICML-UNAM-1104, Antiguo Corral del Risco (Bahía de Banderas, Nayarit), 20°46’20’’N, 105 °32’49’’W, 18/ II/2005, 3 m depth . LEB-ICML-UNAM-1369, El Requesón ( Bahía Concepción , BCS), 26°38’38’’N, 111°49’53’’W, 29/X/2006, 9 m depth . LEB-ICML-UNAM-1443, La Granja Bahía San Gabriel (La Paz, BCS), 24°25’32’’N, 110° 20’55’’W, 12/III/2007, 0.5 m depth . LEB-ICML-UNAM-1553, Agua de Yepiz (La Paz, BCS), 24°35’35’’N, 110°35’53’’W 09/I/2007, 1 m depth . LEB-ICML-UNAM-1579, Puente Maviri (Ahome, Sinaloa), 25°34’55’’N, 109°06’52’’W, 14/II/2002, 2 m depth . LEB-ICML-UNAM-1581, Cerro de la Virgen (Topolobampo, Sinaloa), 25°36’57’’N, 108°58’11 W, 11/XII/2002, 4 m depth . LEB-ICML-UNAM-2374, Isla Talchichitle, Estero del Tlacuachon (Angostura, Sinaloa), 24°54’50’’N, 108°06’41’’W, 28/VI/2013, 1 m depth . LEB-ICML-UNAM-2377, Isla Altamura, Estero la Pocita , (Angostura, Sinaloa), 24°53’20’’N, 108°06’45’’, 28/VI/2013, 1 m depth . LEB-ICMLUNAM-2379, Isla Altamura, Estero la Pocita (Angostura, Sinaloa), 24°53’20’’N, 108°06’45’’, 28/VI/2013, 1 m depth.

Description

Encrusting, cushion-shaped, or massive amorphous sponge (from 2 to 10 cm thick), covering areas from 12 × 6 mm and up to 5 × 12 cm ( Fig. 6A, B ). The surface is smooth, uneven, or completely irregular and typically sculptured with very characteristic drainage subectosomal channels (up to 1 mm in diameter), which commonly converge on the oscules. The ectosome is a thin and translucent easy detachable membrane. Oscula are circular and chimney shaped (5–12 mm in diameter and 6–10 mm high) evenly distributed on the surface. Choanosomal aquiferous canals are common, from 0.25 to 2 mm in diameter. Consistency is slightly compressible and easily torn. Colour varies from yellow to orange, green, or brown in life and becomes pale asser preservation.

Skeletal characteristics

Skeleton: Ectosomal skeleton is a tangential layer (from 20–40 µm thick) made of free tylotes, sometimes arranged in tracts ( Fig. 6C ). Choanosomal structure consists of an isotropic reticulation ( Fig. 6D ) made of interconnected multispicular fibres (10–40 µm thick) forming rectangular meshes from 60–90 µm in diameter. Microscleres are isochelae and sigmas dispersed without a particular organization.

Spicules: Ectosomal tylotes are bent or curved, with smooth heads, sometimes with an incipient head (anisotylote) ( Fig. 7A, E ). Tylotes length: 120–(180.3)–215 µm; shass diameter: 2.5–(3.7)–6.3 µm; head diameter: 3.8–(5.5)–8.8 µm ( Table 4 ). Choanosomal styles are curved or straight (with the shass slightly bent in the upper third). Styles length: 125– (165.8)–195 µm; shass diameter 1.3–(4.1)–7.5 µm ( Fig. 7B, F ; Table 4 ). Microscleres consist of contorted ‘C’- or ‘S’-shaped sigmas ( Fig. 7C, G ): 15–(25.8)–47.5 µm, and arcuate tridentate isochelae ( Fig. 7D, H ): 12.5–(22.8)–32.5 µm. Both types of microscleres are very variable in size, but only one size category is recognizable ( Table 4 ).

Distribution and habitat

The species is known from the Galapagos Islands and Guaymas in the Mexican Pacific ( Desqueyroux-Faúndez and Van Soest 1997). This species is widely distributed in several localities from the Gulf of California, including the shores of Baja California Sur, Sinaloa, and Jalisco ( Fig. 1 ). Specimens were collected from hard substrates, including rocks, mangrove roots, dead corals, and artificial harbor structures; from intertidal to 9 m depth.

Remarks

Lissodendoryx albemarlensis was described from the Galapagos Islands (Eastern Pacific). In the original description, these authors analysed and synonymized a previous record of Lissodendoryx isodictyalis ( Carter, 1882) reported in the Gulf of California by Dickinson (1945), increasing the species’ geographical distribution range (from Mexico to the Galapagos Islands). Here, we also reviewed a few Dickinson’s specimens and corroborated its similarity with our samples and with the original description of L. albemarlensis .

Another previous record of L. (L.) isodictyalis in the Mexican Pacific was made by Carter (1882) from Acapulco. However, in his description, he did not include information about spicule measurements. In a current taxonomic revision of Lissodendoryx , Carter’s specimens from Acapulco’s locality were not found ( Rützler et al. 2007). Therefore, to date is impossible to obtain precise morphological information to establish the taxonomic status of this record. Nevertheless, considering the high morphological similarity between L. (L.) isodictyalis and L. (L.) albemarlensis vs. their specific distribution (Atlantic vs. Pacific, respectively), we propose to aưribute the Acapulco’s records of L. (L.) isodictyalis by Carter to L. (L.) albemarlensis , keeping this species name for the eastern Pacific specimens and consider it different from the Caribbean L. (L.) isodictyalis .

Figures

Figure 1. Location of the sampling stations along the coast of Mexico.The numbers show the distribution of the species:(1) Celtodoryx chichiltik sp. nov.; (2) Lissodendoryx (Anomodoryx) incrustans sp. nov.; (3) Lissodendoryx (Lissodendoryx) albemarlensis; (4) L. (W.) hawaiiana.

Figure 6. Lissodendoryx (Lissodendoryx) albemarlensis. A, B, External morphology of two alive specimens out of the water; drawings of (C) tangential view of ectosomal skeletal structure; D, cross-section view of choanosomal skeletal structure.

Figure 7. SEM images of spicules of Lissodendoryx (Lissodendoryx) albemarlensis. A-D, Specimen LEB-ICML-UNAM-27; E, H, specimen AHF-1736-49; A, E, tylotes and detail of their heads; B, F, styles and detail of their ends; C, G, sigmas; D, H, arcuate isochelae.