Tsitsikamma (Clavicaulis subgen. nov.) michaeli Parker-Nance, 2019

Samaai, Toufiek, Kelly, Michelle, Ngwakum, Benedicta, Payne, Robyn, Teske, Peter R., Janson, Liesl, Kerwath, Sven, Parker, Denham & Gibbons, Mark J., 2020, New Latrunculiidae (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida) from the Agulhas ecoregion of temperate southern Africa, Zootaxa 4896 (3), pp. 409-442 : 428-429

Tsitsikamma (Clavicaulis subgen. nov.) michaeli Parker-Nance, 2019

( Fig. 11 , Table 1, 4)

Type & locality (not examined). Holotype — SAIAB 207202 Evans Peak, Algoa Bay , Eastern Cape Province, - 33.84548, 25.81663, 30–34 m depth, 12 November 2015.

Material examined. SAMC-A090890, SAMC-A091441, SAMC-A090891, Evans Peak, 33.842° S, 25.816° E, Algoa Bay, Port Elizabeth , 30 m, collected by Rhodes University, May 2010 ; SAMC-A090893, Amathole region Stn 3813, Eastern Cape, 32.681° S, 28.458° E, 52–55 m, RV Ellen Khuzwayo, dredge, 26 Aug 2016 .

Distribution. Algoa Bay, Port Elizabeth and Amathole region off East London, Eastern Cape, South Africa.

Diagnosis. Small olive-green, purse shaped sponge up to 5 cm high (2 cm stalk and 3 cm rounded head), surface crowded with small short tube-shaped oscula and numerous large stalked cauliflower porefields ( Fig. 11E ; see also fig. 4 in Parker-Nance et al. 2019). Sponge is fleshy and compressible in life, dark to olive green in life, olive to tan in preservative ( Fig. 11E ). The sponges were collected from a moderately rugged rocky bottom with patches of sand between rocks, from Evans Peak, Algoa Bay, South Africa, at 33– 38 m. Megascleres ( Tables 1, 4) are hastate or blunt styles, centrally thickened; (1) 713 (537–935) × 21 (12–30) μm and (2) long slender styles 622 (439–769) × 9 (4–13) μm, with occasional short thick anisostrongyles. Microscleres ( Table 1, 4; Fig. 11F ) are acanthose isospinodiscorhabds with three or four whorls, 38 (34–44) μm. The terminal whorls consist of a clearly larger manubrium and apical whorls. The acanthose tubercles are arranged in sets of two to four, radiating from the terminal ends. Skeletal architecture has no reinforced tracts. The ectosome is thick and encapsulates the choanosome forming a protected layer ( Fig. 11G ) (modified from Parker-Nance et al. 2019). The species occupies the same reef habitat as that of T. (C. subgen. nov.) pedunculata , at depths between 33– 38 m. The sponge is often encrusted by an unidentified species of Mycale (Mycale) .

DNA sequence data. We sequenced partial COI of collected material from different localities; GenBank accession numbers: COI MK016478 – MK016479 .

Remarks. This species was described by Parker-Nance et al. (2019). For further details on the species and for comparative purposes with other Tsitsikamma species see Parker-Nance et al. (2019).

There was no intraspecific genetic diversity for the COI gene sequences for specimens of T. (C. subgen. nov.) michaeli and no interspecific genetic diversity for T. (C. subgen. nov.) michaeli , T. (T.) favus and the other specimens. Parker-Nance et al. (2019) also found no intraspecific genetic diversity for the 28S rRNA gene region for T. (C. subgen. nov.) michaeli and no interspecific genetic diversity for T. (C. subgen. nov.) michaeli and T. (C. subgen. nov.) pedunculata was observed in this work. They did however find interspecific genetic diversity of between 0.48–0.65 % between T. (C. subgen. nov.) michaeli and T. (T.) favus and 0.32 % between T. (C. subgen. nov.) michaeli and T. (T.) scurra . The latter finding further strengthen the subgenera divisions.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Tsitsikamma (C.) pedunculata Samaai & Kelly, 2003, holotype NHMUK2003.1.10.2: A. In-situ image of holotype; B, C. Isospinodiscorhabds from holotype; D. Skeletal architecture of holotype showing thick ectosome and ill-formed choanosomal spicule tracts. Tsitsikamma (C.) michaeli Parker-Nance, 2019, specimen SAMC-A090893: E. Preserved specimen; F. Isochiadiscorhabds; G. Skeletal architecture showing ill-formed, irregular reticulation of anisostyles, a thick ectosome and a single layer of erect isochiadiscorhabds lines the surface of the ectosome.