Haliclona (Flagellia) indonesiae, Van Soest, 2017

Van Soest, Rob W. M., 2017, Flagellia, a new subgenus of Haliclona (Porifera, Haplosclerida), European Journal of Taxonomy 351, pp. 1-48 : 10-13

Haliclona (Flagellia) indonesiae subgen. et sp. nov.

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Figs 4–5

Etymology

Named after the country where the holotype was collected.

Material examined

Holotype

INDONESIA: North Sulawesi, Manado , coral reef, depth 18 m, coll. N.J. de Voogd, field number MD09/160502/061, 16 May 2002 ( RMNH Por. 2326).

Paratype

INDONESIA: Ambon, Ambon Bay near Eri, 3.75° S, 128.1333° E, sandy bay with patch reefs, depth 4–6 m, coll. R.W.M. Van Soest, field number 006/III/15, 5 Sep. 1984 ( ZMA Por. 08160).

Additional specimens examined

INDONESIA: Lesser Sunda Islands, Lombok, Bay of Pidjot, 8.8108° S, 116.5224° E, 22 m depth, dredge, coll. Siboga Exped. stat. 033, 24 Mar. 1899 ( ZMA Por. 01233); Lesser Sunda Islands, Sumba, Bay of Nangamessi, 9.6456° S, 120.2642° E, 0–36 m depth, dredge, coll. Siboga Exped. stat. 053, 21 Apr. 1899 ( ZMA Por. 01234); Timor Leste, Timor, S coast, 8.6566° S, 127.0733° E, 34 m depth, dredge, coll. Siboga Exped. stat. 285, 18 Jan. 1900 ( ZMA Por. 01235).

AUSTRALIA: a likely Australian specimen (unpublished, not examined by me, identification based on in situ, on deck and light microscopic images provided), NW Australia, Woodside Kimberley Survey 2012, station 115/K12, depth 16.6 m, coll. O.A. Gomez, 22 Oct. 2012 ( WAM Z54639).

Description

The holotype ( Fig. 4A, A 1 , A 2 ) is a large plate-like sponge, tending to form a very shallow cup with folding sides. Size 25 × 20 cm, less than 1 cm thick. Color pinkish cream alive, orange-cream in alcohol. Surface smooth, riddled with rounded holes in life, but these contract in alcohol. A few oscules of about 5 mm are present. Consistency firm. The paratype ( Fig. 4B ) is broken into three flat fragments, but together these comprise also a large plate-like sponge. The life color was noted as light brown, but in alcohol it is slightly darker brown. Surface is similarly smooth and no oscules are apparent. The additional specimens are smaller flat encrustations.

SKELETON ( Fig. 5 A–B). A confused system of pauci- to polyspicular ascending spicule tracts and interconnecting spicules. Superficial spicule tracts are often consolidated by some spongin, which occasionally envelops tracts entirely, but interiorly spongin is rare and only binding. Loose megascleres are common.

OXEAS ( Fig. 5 C–C1). Curved, sharply pointed, 189– 249 –318 × 8– 12. 4 –18 μm.

FLAGELLOSIGMAS ( Fig. 5 D–E). Predominantly circular or ovoid. Curvature of long ending rather sharply bent and long upturned ( Fig. 5D 1 ), of short ending deeply bent ( Fig. 5D 2 ), varying from narrow to wide.

In a single large size range, length of long ending 85– 101 –114 μm, length of short ending 58– 69 –77 μm, width 63– 78 –87 μm, thickness 1.5– 2. 1 –2.5 μm.

NORMAL SIGMAS ( Fig. 5F ). A single category, small and thin, in a large size range, but not clearly divisible, 14– 25. 6 –42 × 0.5– 0. 94 –1.5 μm

Distribution and ecology

Indonesia: Manado, Ambon, Lesser Sunda Islands (Lombok, Sumba); Timor Leste; NW Australia (Marine Ecoregions Celebes Sea, Banda Sea, Lesser Sunda, Bonaparte Coast), on reefs at depths of 4– 36 m.

Remarks

In spicule shapes and sizes the new species is extremely close to Indonesian Haliclona (Flagellia) hamata ( Thiele, 1903) (see below). The shapes and sizes of the flagellosigmas are virtually identical, and the length of the small normal sigmas is similar. However, there are three distinct differences: the body shape of H. (F.) hamata is digitate to arborescent, the oxeas are larger and especially thicker (264–425 × 13–24 μm), and the normal sigmas are considerably more robust (thickness 1.5–2.5 μm). The combination of these differences confirms the specific status of the two sympatric species. A third Indonesian species H. (F.) hentscheli nom. nov. (see below) differs clearly in having two size categories of flagellosigmas and normal sigmas, and smaller and thinner oxeas.

The presence of this species in NW Australia is here reported on the basis of a photo of an in situ specimen, a photo of an ‘on deck’ labeled fragment of that specimen, and a light microscopic photo of the skeleton and spicules made from the fragment. These images were graciously provided by one of the manuscript reviewers. Although I did not study the material myself, the images provided sufficient evidence for a positive identification as Haliclona (Flagellia) indonesiae subgen. et sp. nov.

Figures

Fig. 4. Haliclona (Flagellia) indonesiae subgen. et sp. nov. A. Holotype (RMNH Por. 2326) in situ at Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia. A 1. Detail of surface of in situ holotype. A 2. Preserved holotype specimen (scale bar = 1 cm). B. Fragmented paratype (ZMA Por. 08160) from Ambon, Indonesia (scale bar = 1 cm).

Fig. 5. Haliclona (Flagellia) indonesiae subgen. et sp. nov., holotype (RMNH Por. 2326). A. SEM image of cross section. B. SEM image of surface. C–F. SEM images of spicules. C. Oxeas. C 1. Detail of one of the apices. D–E. Flagellosigmas. D 1. Detail of long ending of flagellosigma. D 2. Detail of short ending of flagellosigma. F. Sigma.

Fig. 1. Flagellosigma, the characteristic feature of Haliclona (Flagellia) subgen. nov., showing meristic and descriptive features used in this study.

Fig. 2. ‘Flagellated’ sigma of Mycale (Naviculina) diversisigmata Van Soest, 1984, a sigma type superficially similar to a flagellosigma, but the morphology is considered non-homologous due to the lack of a strong asymmetry in the longer and shorter endings.