Ernstia klautauae, Van Soest & De Voogd, 2015

Ernstia klautauae View in CoL sp. nov.

Figs 18a–c View FIGURE 18 , 19a–c View FIGURE 19

Clathrina View in CoL sp.nov. 13 ‘Indonesia’; Klautau et al. 2013: 5, table 2.

Material examined. Holotype ZMA Por. 08390, Indonesia, Nusa Tenggara, E of Komodo, Selat Linta , 8.5833°S 119.57°E, depth 4–11 m, SCUBA, coll. R. W.M. van Soest, Indonesian-Dutch Snellius II Expedition stat. 079/ III/ 15 , 18 September 1984. GoogleMaps

Paratype RMNH Por. 9341, Indonesia, Papua, Misool, Raja Ampat , 1.984°S 130.5164°E. depth 0–2 m, snorkeling, coll. L.E. Becking GoogleMaps , # LE 652 /MIS01/ RIMG 0679, 20 May 2011.

Description. Tightly anastomosed mass of thin tubes ( Figs 18a–b View FIGURE 18 ). Tubes 1–2 mm in diameter. The in situ photo ( Fig. 18b View FIGURE 18 ) shows two water-collecting tubes with terminal oscules elevated above the cormus. Overall size 2 x 1 cm. Color (pale) yellow. Consistency soft.

Skeleton. Tetractines are dominating in the holotype, while tri- and tetractines are about equally present in the paratype. Apical actines of tetractines protrude far and characteristically into the lumen between the tubes ( Fig. 18c View FIGURE 18 ).

Spicules. ( Figs 19a–c View FIGURE 19 ) Triactines, tetractines.

Triactines ( Fig. 19a View FIGURE 19 ), with conical actines, in a wide range of thicknesses, overall size 93– 108.4 –125 x 6– 8.8 – 11 µm.

Tetractines, with conical actines of basal triadiate system 60– 106.4 –126 x 6– 7.9 –10 µm, apical actines variable, 32– 90.4 –165 x 4– 5.4 –7 µm. On the basis of the apical actines these spicules are possibly divisible in two types, with relatively thick straight apical actines ( Fig. 19b View FIGURE 19 ), and with thin sharply pointed apical actines ( Fig. 19c View FIGURE 19 ), straight or slightly curved.

Ecology. Shallow coral reefs, marine lakes.

Distribution. Indonesia (Komodo, Papua).

Etymology. Named after Dr Michelle Klautau (Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Brazil) for her pioneering efforts in calcarean taxonomy and phylogeny.

Remarks. The new species is assigned to Ernstia , because of proportion of tri- and tetractines (equal or more tetractines) and the sharp thin apical actines of the tetractines. DNA of the present holotype material was extracted by Klautau et al. (2013: table 2) and its sequence classified closely with Ernstia tetractina ( Klautau & Borojevic, 2001) ( Klautau et al. 2013: Fig. 1 View FIGURE 1 ).

The habitus reminds of Norwegian Clathrina cribrata Rapp, Valentine & Klautau, 2001 but that species has triactines only.