Clathria (Microciona) campecheae Hooper, 1996

Rützler, Klaus, Piantoni, Carla, Van, Rob W. M. & Díaz, Cristina, 2014, Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay, Zootaxa 3805 (1), pp. 1-129 : 60-61

Clathria (Microciona) campecheae Hooper, 1996

( Figure 34 )

Synonymy and references. Hymeraphia affinis Topsent, 1889: 43 , fig. 8A; Microciona affinis (Topsent) : Macintyre et al. (1982): 134; Clathria (Microciona) affinis (Topsent, 1889) : van Soest (1984a): 93, fig. 36 (not Clathria (Microciona) affinis (Carter, 1880) , a valid species); Clathria (Microciona) campecheae Hooper, 1996: 220 .

Material. USNM 32864, Columbus Cay cave, Belize, 18–21 m; G. Hendler & I. G. Macintyre col. 26 Apr 1979. USNM 1191352, Carrie Bow Cay, forereef cave, off Curlew Bank, 20 m; C. Piantoni col. 2 Jul 2007. USNM 1229009, Carrie Bow Cay, forereef cave, off Curlew Bank, 21 m; C. Piantoni & M. Parrish, col. 21 Aug 2012.

External morphology. Forming very thin crusts on rock and other organisms, bristly from large protruding spicules. Tiny oscula visible in live specimens but fully contracted in preserved material. Color yellow orange to reddish brown.

Skeleton structure. Large styles/tylostyles arranged perpendicular to the substrate, accompanied by smaller acanthostyles, with heads embedded in basal spongin layer. Other megascleres and microsleres occur throughout, without particular orientation.

Spicules. Choanosomal styles or subtylostyles with spiny heads, 400–880 x 13–25 (573 x 18) Μm. Ectosomal subtylostyles with microspined heads, 230–660 x 5–14 (491 x 7) Μm. Acanthostyles, 70–190 x 8–18 (133 x 12) Μm. Palmate isochelae, 12–17 (15) Μm. Toxa, 42–380 x 1–7 (287 x 4) Μm.

Ecology. Encrusting various substrates on reefs and in reef caves, including serpulid worm tubes and other sponges, such as Agelas schmidti ; 18–25 m depth.

Distribution. Known from the Gulf of Mexico and the western and southern Caribbean.

Comments. Transfer of Topsent’s species to Clathria (Microciona) by van Soest (1984a) created a taxonomic conflict with Clathria affinis (Carter) , prompting Hooper (1996a) to introduce the new name C. campecheae .

Figures

FIGURE 34. Clathria (Microciona) campecheae, spicules (SEM): a, choanosomal tylostyle (left) and ectosomal subtylostyles (with heads enlarged); b, acanthostyles; c, palmate isochelas; d, toxa.