Diplopodospongia teliformis, Sim-Smith, Carina & Kelly, Michelle, 2011

Sim-Smith, Carina & Kelly, Michelle, 2011, Two new genera in the family Podospongiidae (Demospongiae: Poecilosclerida) with eight new Western Pacific species, Zootaxa 2976, pp. 32-54 : 47-48

Diplopodospongia teliformis gen. nov. sp. nov.

( Fig. 1 F, 2D, 5E–K)

Material examined. Holotype ― NIWA 35005, RV Sonne Stn SO191-2/87, Hikurangi Channel, Gisborne, 40.053° S, 177.735° E, 1106 m, 12 Feb 2007. Paratypes ― NIWA 32070, 32056, RV Sonne Stn SO191-2/87, Hikurangi Channel, Gisborne, 40.053° S, 177.735° E, 1106 m, 12 Feb 2007; NIWA 52976, NIWA Stn TAN0616/79, Wairarapa/Opouawe Bank, Cook Strait, 41.783° S, 175.400° E, 1040–1053 m, 13 Nov 2006.

Type location. Hikurangi Channel, Gisborne.

Distribution. SE North Island, from Gisborne to Cook Strait.

Description. Thinly encrusting sponge growing on rock ( Fig. 1 F). Surface smooth to the touch, texture leathery, ectosome wrinkled. No visible oscules. Colour in ethanol tan.

Skeleton. The ectosome consists of a dense layer of diplospinorhabds. The choanosomal skeleton consists of thick tracts of oxeas that rise vertically from the base of the sponge and radiate into brushes of spicules near the ectosome. Spinorhabds are moderately densely scattered throughout the choanosome ( Fig. 2 D).

Megascleres ( Fig. 5 E, Table 3)― Anisoxeas, straight, centrally thickened, polytylote; 357 (338–389) x 8 (6–9) µm.

Microscleres ( Fig. 5 F–K, Table 3)― Diplospinorhabd I ( Fig. 5 F–H), generally symmetrical with a smooth forked spine at either end of the shaft. A whorl of four smooth, forked spines is located near each end of the shaft, separated by a very short shaft length. The immature spinorhabd is a straight, slender version of the mature spinorhabd ( Fig. 5 H); 29 (26–36) µm long x 21 (19–26) µm wide. Diplospinorhabd II ( Fig. 5 I–K, Table 3)―Asymmetrical, elongate, torpedo-shaped spicules that have several smooth spines at either end of the shaft, and are less abundant than diplospinorhabd I. A number of smooth, forked spicules may also protrude from the centre of the shaft; 42 (36–48) µm long with a shaft width of 9 (7–11) µm.

Substrate, depth range, and ecology. Encrusting in small patches on boulders between 1040 and 1106 m.

Etymology. Named for the shape of the diplospinorhabds, which take the shape of a missile in this species ( teliformis , from telum = Latin for missile).

Remarks. The key difference between Diplopodospongia teliformis gen. nov. sp. nov., D. rara gen. nov. sp. nov., and D. macquariensis gen. nov. sp. nov. is the presence of two categories of microscleres in D. teliformis gen. nov. sp. nov., one of which is missile-shaped ( Fig. 5 I–K). Both categories of diplospinorhabds have a characteristic single bifurcate apical and basal spine. The megascleres are centrally thickened, polytylote, and quite uniform, especially compared to D. rara gen. nov. sp. nov., and they are shorter than those of D. macquariensis gen. nov. sp. nov., and longer than those of D. rara gen. nov. sp. nov. . This is the deepest species, found deeper than 1100 m within the Hikurangi Channel.

Figures

FIGURE 1. New genera and species of Podospongiidae from New Zealand, Australian, and Indonesian waters: A. Podospongia virga, holotype NIWA 52692, Cape Reinga, New Zealand; B. Podospongia colini, holotype USNM 1154618, Sulawesi, Indonesia; C. Neopodospongia pagei, holotype NIWA 52580, Three Kings Islands, New Zealand; D. Neopodospongia exilis, holotype NIWA 52579, Cavalli seamounts, New Zealand; E. Neopodospongia bergquistae, holotype NIWA 62016, Poor Knights Islands, New Zealand; F. Diplopodospongia teliformis, holotype NIWA 35005, Hikurangi Channel, New Zealand; G. Diplopodospongia rara, holotype NIWA 52693, Campbell Plateau, New Zealand; H. Diplopodospongia macquariensis, holotype QM G 331915, Seamount 8, Macquarie Ridge, Australia. Scale = 10 mm for all images.

FIGURE 2. Generalised skeletal architecture of new Podospongiidae genera and species: A. Podospongia virga, with secondary tract formation evident within the globular part of the body; B. Podospongia colini, with dendritic non-divergent tracts within the globular part of the body; C. generalised skeletal architecture of Neopodospongia species; D. generalised skeletal architecture of Diplopodospongia species.

FIGURE 5. Megascleres and microscleres of Diplopodospongia gen. nov. spp. nov.: Diplopodospongia rara, holotype NIWA 52693, A. anisoxea, scale = 100 µm; B. diplospinorhabd; C, D. protodiplospinorhabds, scale B – D = 20 µm. Diplopodospongia teliformis, holotype NIWA 35005, E. anisoxea, scale = 100 µm; F. G. diplospinorhabd I; H. protodiplospinorhabd; I – K. diplospinorhabd II, scale F – K = 20 µm. Diplopodospongia macquariensis, holotype QM G 331915, L. anisoxea, scale = 100 µm; M. diplospinorhabd, scale = 20 µm.