Smenospongia wiedenmayeri, Sim & Lee & Kim, 2016

Sim, Chung Ja, Lee, Kyung Jin & Kim, Young A, 2016, Twelve new species of two genera Smenospongia and Cacospongia (Demospongia: Dictyoceratida: Thorectidae) from Korea, Journal of Species Research 5 (1), pp. 31-48 : 39

7. Smenospongia wiedenmayeri n. sp. ( Fig. 7 )

Type specimen. Holotype ( NIBRIV0000321371 ), Korea: Jeollanam-do, Shinan-gun, Heuksan-myeon, Gageodo Island (Gukhuldo), 11 Jul 2001, Lee KJ, by SCUBA diving, depth 25 m, deposited in the NIBR.

Description. Thick mass, size up to 14 × 9 × 3 cm. Surface with indistinct conules, and slimy membrane. Surface covered with many bryozoan animals. Oscules open at top of sponge, 1.5- 3 mm in diameter. Colour in life gray and beige turns to dark brown. Texture firm and compressible.

Skeleton: Primary fibres, 100-170 μm in diameter, regularly arranged at surface and invisible cored debris with rare echinating spicules. Secondary fibres, 30-70 μm in diameter, irregularly arranged. Choanosomal primary fibres, 100-150-200 μm in diameter. Choanosomal secondary fibres 50-100 μm in diameter, easily broken.

Etymology. The specific name, wiedenmayeri , is named after the Wiedenmayer who erected the genus name.

Remark. This new species is distinguished from other species. Surface is not clear the conules. Primary fibres are difficult to see the cored debris. Echinating spine of primary fibres is thick and long.

Figures

Fig. 7. Smenospongia wiedenmayeri n. sp. A, entire animal; B, closed surface; C, surface secondary fibres; D, E, choanosomes skeletal structure; F, closed primary fibres. Scale bars:A=3 cm, C-E=200 μm, F=100μm.