Callyspongia (Callyspongia) pulitzeri Van Soest & Hooper, 2020

Calcinai, Barbara, Belfiore, Giuseppe, Pica, Daniela, Torsani, Fabrizio, Palma, Marco & Cerrano, Carlo, 2020, Porifera from Ponta do Ouro (Mozambique), European Journal of Taxonomy 698, pp. 1-56 : 14-15

Callyspongia (Callyspongia) pulitzeri Van Soest & Hooper, 2020

Fig. 8

Callyspongia subtilis Pulitzer-Finali, 1993: 338 , fig. 76.

Material examined

PONTA DO OURO • 1 small fragment of a branch, about 3 ×1× 1 cm; 26°46′39.864″ S, 32°55′25.355″ E; Cloud break; 36 m deep; 22 May 2015; Torsani leg.; IMG0827 • Slide preparation of the holotype, labelled KEN.59, belonging to the author’s personal collection .

Description

Live sponge branching in shape, with prominent oscula organized in a row in the upper side ( Fig. 8A ). Color is light violet with visible whitish lines ( Fig. 8A ). The dried specimen is microhispid and spiny in the upper surface, close to the oscula, smoother in the basal part. The consistence is tough and incompressible.

SKELETON. Ectosome formed by a reticulation of unispicular primary fibers, 25–45 µm in section, and secondary unispicular fibers, 10–15 µm ( Fig. 8B ); the meshes are quadrangular and quite regular ( Fig. 8 B–C), 230–270× 250–350 µm. Choanosome formed by a regular reticulation of multispicular fibers, 45–65 µm in section, linked by secondary spongin fibers ( Fig. 8 D–E). These are cored by single oxeas (monospicular) and are 25–35 µm in section ( Fig. 8D ). The rounded meshes formed are 180– 275 µm wide.

SPICULES. Slightly curved oxeas with acerate tips ( Fig. 8F ), 77.5–(87, 6.3)– 97.5 µm × 1.25–(3.76, 1.1)– 5 µm.

Remarks

The morphology, skeleton, and spicule size, as well as the shape of the examined specimen fit those of the original description from North Kenya Banks. Moreover, the prominent oscula organized in a row on the upper side and the multispicular primary fibers of the choanosome are peculiar characteristics. The examination of the holotype ( Callyspongia subtilis Pulitzer-Finali, 1993 ) confirms the identification. Callyspongia subtilis Pulitzer-Finali, 1993 was a junior homonymy recently removed by Van Soest & Hooper (2020) who renamed the species in honor of Gustavo Pulitzer-Finali.

This is the first record of the species since its original description from Kenya.

Figures

Fig. 8. Callyspongia (Callyspongia) pulitzeri Van Soest & Hooper, 2020. A. Specimen IMG0827 in situ. B. Ectosomal skeleton. C. SEM picture of the ectosomal skeleton. D. Ectosomal skeleton. E. SEM picture of the choanosomal skeleton and small portion of the ectosome on the top left of the figure. F. Oxea.