Ircinia mureungensis, 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 : 491-492

8. Ircinia mureungensis n. sp. ( Fig. 11 )

Type specimen. Holotype (NIBRIV0000554227), Korea:

Mureungachi, Daejeong­eup, Seogwipo­si , Jeju­do, 17 Aug 2015, Moon SE, by SCUBA , Depth 20 m, deposited in the NIBR .

Description. Large irregular mass, size up to 21 × 20 × 8 cm. Surface have very low branched conules, and cover­ ed with thin filamentous membrane which mixed with spicules. Oscules, 3­8 mm in diameter, spread all over sponge surface. Colour in life dirty gray. Texture very soft and compressible. Sponge unstable with flexible na­ ture. Choanosome lacunose.

Skeleton: Primary fibres, 150­300 μm in diameter, usually slightly cored. Primary fibres at end of conules, 800 μm in diameter. In secondary fibres, secondary mesh net, 500­1500 μm in diameter, loosely arranged, and simple bridge types rare, 250­350 μm in diameter. Filaments, 5 μm in diameter, terminal knobs, 12-15 μm in diameter.

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

Remark. This new species is easily changed in shape because their texture is very flabby. Primary fibres are slightly cored with foreign material.

Figures

Fig. 11. Ircinia mureungensis n. sp. A, entire animal; B, closed surface; C, skeletal structure near surface; D, closed primary fibres and secondary web; E, subdermal skeletal structure; F, secondary fibres between cored primary fibres; G, choanosome skeletal structure; H, branched secondary fibres. Scale bars:A=6 cm, B=10cm, C=200 μm, D-H=100 μm.