Pericharax orientalis, Van Soest & De Voogd, 2015

Pericharax orientalis View in CoL sp. nov.

Figures 41a–e View FIGURE 41 , 42a–e View FIGURE 42

Pericharax heteroraphis View in CoL ; Dendy, 1913: 13; Colin & Arneson, 1995: 60, photo 232, (?also photo 231); Gosliner et al, 1996: 16, photo 6; Allen & Steene, 1996: 30–31; Wörheide & Hooper, 1999: 886, figs 9G–M; Borojevic & Klautau, 2000: 195 View Cited Treatment ; Baine & Harasti, 2007: 15 (not: Pericharax carteri var. heteroraphis Poléjaeff, 1883: 66 View in CoL , pl. II fig. 5, pl. VII fig.8 = P. carteri View in CoL )

Material examined. Holotype RMNH Por. 5259, Indonesia, Halmahera , restaurant Floridas, 0.7599°N 127.3571°E, depth 12 m, SCUBA, coll. N.J. de Voogd, #TER03/251009/010, Ternate Halmahera Expedition 2009, 25 October 2009. GoogleMaps

Paratypes ZMA Por. 08220, Indonesia, SE Sulawesi, Tukang Besi Islands, southern reef of Karang Kaledupa , east entrance, 5.9333° S 123.8° E, depth 4–11 m GoogleMaps , SCUBA, coll. R. W.M. van Soest, Indonesian-Dutch Snellius II Expedition stat. 016 / III/08 , 6 September 1984 ; ZMA Por. 17280, Indonesia, Sumatera, Painan coast, Aua Island , 60 km from Padang , 1.3667°S 100.5667°E, depth 5–10 m GoogleMaps , SCUBA, coll. R.A. Edrada , #DH77, 13 July 2002 ; RMNH Por. 8551, Indonesia, Nusa Tenggara, Bali, Tulamben area , bay S of Emerald Hotel, 8.2847°S 115.6031°E, depth 20 m GoogleMaps , SCUBA, coll. N.J. de Voogd, #BAL23/NV/150401/207, Bali Lombok Strait Expedition 2001, 15 April 2001 .

Additional specimens. ZMA Por. 00149, Indonesia, Irian Jaya, 1.7083° S 130.7916° E, depth 32 m, trawled, coll. Siboga Expedition stat. 164, 20 August 1899 GoogleMaps ; ZMA Por. 00150, Indonesia, Irian Jaya, 1.7083° S 130.7916° E, depth 32 m, trawled, coll. Siboga Expedition stat. 164, 20 August 1899 GoogleMaps ; ZMA Por. 00151, Indonesia, Irian Jaya, 1.7083° S 130.7916° E, depth 32 m, trawled, coll. Siboga Expedition stat. 164, 20 August 1899 GoogleMaps ; ZMA Por. 00181a, Indonesia, S Sulawesi, anchorage off S point Kabaena Island , 5.5165° S 121.9502° E, depth 22 m, trawled, coll. Siboga Expedition stat. 209, 23 September 1899 GoogleMaps ; ZMA Por. 00181b, Philippines, Sulu Islands, anchorage off N Ubian , 6.126° N 120.4333° E, depth 16–23 m, trawled, coll. Siboga Expedition stat. 099, 28 June 1899 GoogleMaps ; ZMA Por. 06526, Indonesia, Nusa Tenggara, N of Sumbawa, Bay of Sanggar , 8.3417°S 118.2617°E, depth 0–1 m, snorkeling, coll. J. Brouns, Indonesian-Dutch Snellius II Expedition 1984 stat. 120/A2, 21 September 1984 GoogleMaps ; ZMA Por. 08561, Indonesia, Sulawesi, SE, Take Bone Rate, NE, western edge of reef Taka Garlarang , 6.45°S 121.2083°E, depth 6–8 m GoogleMaps , SCUBA, coll. R. W.M. van Soest, Indonesian-Dutch Snellius II Expedition 1984 stat. 147 / III/08 , 27 September 1984 ; ZMA Por. 08627, Indonesia, Sulawesi, SW, Salayar, SW, Pulau Guang , NW coast, 6.35°S 120.45°E, depth 4–12 m GoogleMaps , SCUBA, coll. R. W.M. van Soest, Indonesian-Dutch Snellius II Expedition 1984 stat. 152 / III/09 , 28 September 1984 ; ZMA Por. 08628, Indonesia, SE Sulawesi, Salayar SW, Pulau Guang , NW coast, 6.35°S 120.45°E, depth 4–12 m GoogleMaps , SCUBA, coll. R. W.M. van Soest, Indonesian-Dutch Snellius II Expedition stat. 152 / III/ 10 , 28 September 1984 ; ZMA Por. 08786, Palau Islands , Argulpelu Reef, depth 15 m , SCUBA, coll. M.K. Harper, #DJF 81–133, 1981; ZMA Por. 16010, Indonesia, SW Sulawesi, Spermonde Archipelago, Kudinggareng Keke , 5.102°S 119.286°E, depth 10–15 m GoogleMaps , SCUBA, coll. B.W. Hoeksema, #4, 24 April 1997 ; ZMA Por. 17168, Indonesia, SW Sulawesi, Spermonde Archipelago, Kapoposang , 4.6885°S 118.9367°E, depth 13.2 m GoogleMaps , SCUBA, coll. R.A. Edrada , # TM87 , 8 August 1997 ; ZMA Por. 17364, Indonesia, Sulawesi, Spermonde Archipelago, Barang Lompo , 5.05°S 119.3°E, depth 14.4 m GoogleMaps , SCUBA, coll. R.A. Edrada , 25 July 1997 ; ZMA Por. 17412, Indonesia, SW Sulawesi, Spermonde Archipelago, Bone Lola , 5.0°S 119.35°E, depth 6 m GoogleMaps , SCUBA, coll. N.J. de Voogd, #NV/BL/291002/349, 29 October 2002 ; ZMA Por. 17558, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Sea , 10.22°S 150.87°E, depth 18–24 m GoogleMaps , SCUBA, coll. R. Sonnenschein , #02160, 2 June 2002 ; ZMA Por. 17708, Papua New Guinea, Milne Bay, 9.62°S 150.9556°E, depth 6–21 m GoogleMaps , SCUBA, coll. R. Sonnenschein , #03513, 12 December 2003 ; ZMA Por. 17740, Indonesia, Kalimantan, Berau Islands, SE side Kakaban Island , 2.1261°N 118.5517°E, depth 25–30 m GoogleMaps , SCUBA, coll. R.G. Moolenbeek , #BER03/36, 2003 ; RMNH Por. 1633, Palau, Koror, W of Ulong Island, Ngerumekaul Channel , 7.2819°N 134.2454°E, depth 27 m GoogleMaps , SCUBA, coll. N.J. de Voogd, # KOR08 About KOR /170505/ 053A, 17 May 2005 ; RMNH Por. 1935, Indonesia, Manddin , between Bunaken and Manado Tua, depth 17 m , SCUBA, coll. N.J. de Voogd, # MD4 /180502/093, 18 May 2002 ; RMNH Por. 9351, Indonesia, Sulawesi, Kabaena Island , anchorage off S point, 5.5165°S 121.9502°E, depth 22 m, dredge, hard bottom, coll. Siboga Expedition stat. 209, 23 September 1899 GoogleMaps ; RMNH Por. 9352 Philippines, Sulu Islands, anchorage off North Ubian , 6.125°N 120.4333°E, depth 16–23 m, dredge, hard bottom, coll. Siboga Expedition stat. 099, 30 June 1899 GoogleMaps .

Description. ( Figs 41a–c View FIGURE 41 ) Upright thick-walled tubular individuals with central vent, occasionally several individuals are grouped together ( Fig. 41a View FIGURE 41 ). In mature condition the sides of the tubes are sharply ridged ( Fig. 41a, c View FIGURE 41 ), and colors are a mottled reddish brown, green-brown, grey-green and greyish yellow ( Fig. 41a View FIGURE 41 ). In young specimens, which are usually lighter colored, the walls often lack ridges and at most show rounded folds ( Fig. 41b View FIGURE 41 ). Color of the atrial wall (inside the vent) is yellow or limegreen. Size in mature condition may be considerable. The preserved holotype is 11 cm high and 15 cm wide (the preserved part is one half of the in situ specimen), with vents approximately 4 x 1.5 cm; one of the paratypes is even 15 cm high. Overall, specimens may reach 15–30 cm in height, and 8–20 cm in widest expansion. Surface smooth, but harsh to the touch, prickly because of large triactines. Consistency firm to hard, usually somewhat compressible.

Histology. Leuconoid aquiferous system.

Skeleton. At the surface ( Fig. 41e View FIGURE 41 ) there is a cortex of small, predominantly slightly sagittal triactines, overlying a layer of subdermal rounded lacunae supported by subcortical giant triactines ( Fig. 41d View FIGURE 41 ). The choanosomal skeleton is basically alveolar but this is often obscured ( Fig. 41d View FIGURE 41 ), consisting of small regular triactines surrounding the choanocyte chambers. The atrial wall ( Fig. 41f View FIGURE 41 ) shows a predominance of small tetractines, with their apical actines protruding in the atrium.

Spicules. ( Figs 42a–e View FIGURE 42 ) Giant triactines, small regular triactines, small sagittal triactines, small tetractines.

Giant triactines ( Fig. 42a View FIGURE 42 ), equiangular equiactinal, tapering to conical ends, 360– 834.2 – 1560 x 25 – 67.9 –132 µm.

Small regular triactines ( Fig. 42c View FIGURE 42 ), 60– 159.3 –228 x 7– 12.2 –18 µm.

Ectosomal sagittal triactines ( Fig. 42b View FIGURE 42 ), unpaired actines 61– 95.1 –132 x 6– 8.6 –13 µm, paired actines 60– 83.2 – 138 x 5– 8.1 –12 µm; rarely the sagittal triactines develop a fourth actine ( Fig. 42d View FIGURE 42 ).

Atrial small regular tetractines ( Fig. 42e View FIGURE 42 ), actines of basal triradiate system 126– 177.8 –228 x 7– 9.9 –14 µm, apical actines curved, 57– 87.4 –111 x 6– 7.4 –9 µm.

Ecology. Coral reefs, 4–36 m.

Distribution. Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, NE Australia, New Caledonia, Philippines, Seychelles, Southern Japan (not: Tristan da Cunha).

Remarks. This is a very common species, as is evident from the frequency with which it appears in underwater color guides. In many ways it can be called iconic: it is almost certainly one of the largest calcareous sponges, and has a distinctive mottled brown-yellow appearance and hard consistency, quite the opposite of mainstream calcareous sponges which tend to be small, whitish and soft. Despite its common occurrence its usually employed name, Pericharax heteroraphis turned out to be problematic and we were forced to replace it for reasons given below.

Our extensive material generally fits the description of a specimen from the Chagos Archipelago, Western Indian Ocean, named as Pericharax heteroraphis Poléjaeff, 1883 by Dendy (1913). Spicule sizes and shapes given by him match closely with ours. Dendy compared the Tristan da Cunha deep-water type material of Poléjaeff’s Pericharax carteri var. homoraphis and P. carteri var. heteroraphis with his specimen. Unfortunately, he did not emphasize several observed differences with his own specimen (e.g. size of the giant triactines and shape of the apical actines of the tetractines) and failed to erect a new species for his shallow-water tropical material. It is highly unlikely that specimens from shallow-water coral reefs (4–36 m) as treated here and by Dendy (Salomon Reef, 25 m) are conspecific with the type material from 108 m deep in the cold South Atlantic waters off Tristan da Cunha. We derive this hypothesis from research into the allegedly cosmopolitan distribution of two sponge species in Calcarea (see Solé-Cava et al. 1991), which demonstrated that such species consist of several genetically different cryptic species with limited geographic distributions.

A further problem is that Dendy (1913) as a first reviser failed to choose one of the two varieties described by Poléjaeff as the typical variety, which - as the nominotypical taxon in the sense of the Code - has to be called Pericharax carteri carteri , leaving one of the two other names as name for the second variety. According to Dendy (1913) and Dendy & Row (1913), the variety homoraphis is not a proper Pericharax , but a Leucetta . If we wish to save the genus name Pericharax from becoming a synonym of Leucetta , it is imperative that the variety heteroraphis is chosen as the typical variety, because from Poléjaeff’s text and his Plate II fig. 5, and from Dendy’s (1913) comparisons, it is clear that it is the variety that has the characters of the genus Pericharax (e.g. the cortical skeleton). This means without any doubt (see ICZN articles 45.6.4 and 47) that the name heteroraphis has to be replaced by carteri . Hence, from now onwards the Tristan da Cunha Pericharax material is to be called Pericharax carteri Poléjaeff, 1883 with P. heteroraphis as an objective junior synonym. The species to which Dendy’s and our specimens belong obviously needs a different name.

A candidate for it is Pericharax peziza Dendy, 1913 from 23 m depth off Cargados Carajos. Its skeleton is generally similar to our specimens and also the spicules do not differ significantly. However, the shape is a wide shallow cup, unlike our specimens and unlike all the specimens depicted in many color guides. Also, Dendy himself considered it a different species from his P. ‘heteroraphis’.

Pericharax canaliculata Burton & Rao, 1932 from the Birmese Mergui Archipelago differs strongly in shape and spicule sizes, and might not even be a proper Pericharax .

For these reasons, we decided to propose the new name Pericharax orientalis sp.nov.