Aulospongus aurantiacus, Aguilar-Camacho & Carballo, 2013

Aulospongus aurantiacus sp. nov.

( Figures 1F View Figure 1 , 12 View Figure 12 , 13 View Figure 13 )

Material examined

Holotype: MCNM 1.01 / 657, 30 / 10 / 2003, Isla Venados (Mazatlán, Sinaloa), 7 m (23 ◦ 10 ′ 15 ′′ N, 106 ◦ 26 ′ 42 ′′ W) . Paratype: 962-LEB-ICML-UNAM, 30 / 10 / 2003, Isla Venados (Mazatlán, Sinaloa), 4 m (23 ◦ 10 ′ 15 ′′ N, 106 ◦ 26 ′ 42 ′′ W).

Description

Encrusting or laminated sponge 3–6 cm long and 1–2.5 cm thick. Oscules and ostia not observed. Surface hispid with conules circular to oval-shaped ( 300–750 µm long) and evenly distributed. Consistency hard and difficult to tear. Colour in life is orange, pale in preservation ( Figure 1F View Figure 1 ).

Skeleton

Straight or curved styles in two sizes: 1). 440–970 × 10–20 µm ( Figures 12A View Figure 12 , 13A View Figure 13 ). 2) 135–250 × 5–15 µm ( Figures 12B View Figure 12 , 13B View Figure 13 ). Rhabdostyles microspined with prominent spines: 80–125 × 2.5–15 µm ( Figures 12C View Figure 12 , 13C View Figure 13 ). Curved or straight subectosomal subtylostyles / styles: 280–480 × 2.5–7.5 µm ( Figures 12D View Figure 12 , 13D View Figure 13 ) ( Table 7). The ectosomal skeleton is a dense layer of spongin ( 40–100 µm thick). The choanosome has a plumose structure formed by multispicular fibre bundles ( 160–260 µm thick). The microspined rhabdostyles are echinating ( Figure 13E View Figure 13 ).

Remarks

Aulospongus aurantiacus sp. nov. is a subtidal sponge from the Gulf of California. This species is characterized by having choanosomal styles and curved rhabdostyles microspined. The species assigned to this genus with these characteristics are: Aulospongus similaustralis Hooper et al. 2008 , Aulospongus tubulatus ( Bowerbank 1873) , Aulospongus spinosum ( Topsent 1927) and Aulospongus monticularis ( Ridley and Dendy 1886) . Aulospongus similaustralis Hooper et al. (2008) is a globular sponge recorded from the western coast of Australia. It has choanosomal styles ( 150–400 µm), microspined rhabdostyles ( 70–255 µm) and subectosomal tylostyles ( 720–1400 µm). Aulospongus aurantiacus sp. nov. has styles in two categories and ectosomal subtylostyles / styles while A. similaustralis has one category of styles and ectosomal tylostyles. Aulospongus tubulatus ( Bowerbank 1873) is a massive or tubular sponge recorded from Sri Lanka. It has choanosomal rhabdostyles ( 304–462 µm), rhabdostyles microspined ( 109–126 µm) and ectosomal styles ( 212–250 µm). The rhabdostyles are longer in A. aurantiacus sp. nov. than in A. tubulatus . Aulospongus spinosum ( Topsent 1927) is a bulbous sponge described from Cape Verde at 219 m depth. It has choanosomal rhabdostyles in two sizes ( 770–1085 µm and 90–182 µm), acanthostyles ( 75–145 µm) and ectosomal oxeas ( 40–50 µm). The morphology of the ectosomal spicules is the main difference between these species: styles / subtylostyles in A. aurantiacus sp. nov. and oxeas in A. spinosum . Aulospongus monticularis ( Ridley and Dendy 1886) is an encrusting or massive sponge described from Cape Verde. This species has choanosomal rhabdostyles ( 290–518 µm), microspined rhabdostyles ( 132–275 µm) and subectosomal styles ( 620–960 µm). Aulospongus aurantiacus has the subectosomal styles shorter than A. monticularis .

Etymology

Named aurantiacus which means orange in Latin.