Latrunculia (Latrunculia) ciruela Hajdu, Desqueyroux-Faundez, Carvalho, Lobo-Hajdu and Willenz 2013, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Hajdu, Eduardo
name: Desqueyroux-Faúndez, Ruth
name: Carvalho, Mariana De Souza
name: Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele
name: Willenz, Philippe
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2013
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Porifera
Demospongiae
Poecilosclerida
Latrunculiidae
Latrunculia
Latrunculia ciruela

description: Latrunculia (L.) ciruela Hajdu, Desqueyroux-Faúndez, Carvalho, Lôbo-Hajdu and Willenz sp. nov.
(Figs. 6A, 7A, 8A–R, 9A; Tab. 6)
Latrunculia ciruela Hajdu & Willenz, 2009 (nomen nudum, in part) in Willenz et al. [2009: 143, in part-top left in situ photo, A–F SEM; non top right in situ photo, = L. (L.) copihuensis Willenz & Hajdu sp.nov]
Latrunculia lendenfeldi Hentschel, 1914; sensu Desqueyroux, 1976: 100, in part (non sensu Hentschel, 1914: 44; = L. (L.) basalis Kirkpatrick, 1908)
Type material. Holotype. IZUA-POR 145, Reñihué Fjord (42°33’08.46”S – 72°31’39.66”W, Chilean Patagonia), 20 m depth, coll. Ph. Willenz and E. Hajdu, 25 May 2007 —fragments from the holotype: MNRJ 10858 and RBINSc-IG 32235-POR 10858. Paratypes. MNRJ 9186, Bernardo Fjord (48º29’37.04’’S – 74º05’02’’W, Chilean Patagonia), 28 m depth, coll. V. Häussermann and G. Försterra, 27 March 2005 —fragments from the paratype in MHNG 82683 and RBINSc-IG 32274-POR 9186. MNRJ 10811, Reñihué Fjord (42°32’15.30”S – 72°38’06.66” W, Chilean Patagonia), 28 m depth, coll. Ph. Willenz and E. Hajdu, 23 May 2007 —fragments from the paratype in MHNG 64110 and RBINSc-IG 32235-POR 10811. MNRJ 10844, 10849, Reñihué Fjord (4232’ 46.26S – 7232’ 06.30 W, Chilean Patagonia), 29 m depth, coll. Ph. Willenz and E. Hajdu, 25 May 2007 —fragments from the paratype in MHNG 64111 (from 10844), and RBINSc-IG 32235-POR 10844 and 10849. MNRJ 10855, 10861, Reñihué Fjord (42°33’08.46”S – 72°31’39.66” W, Chilean Patagonia), 21–23 m depth, coll. Ph. Willenz and E. Hajdu, 25 May 2007 —fragments from the paratype (respectively) in RBINSc-IG 32235-POR 10855 and 10861. MNRJ 10921, Raul Marin, Pitipalena Fjord (PiPa 3, 43°45’53.22”S – 72°53’43.62” W, Chilean Patagonia), 19 m depth, coll. G. Försterra (sample 1478), 09 March 2007 —fragments from the paratype in MHNG 82684 and RBINSc-IG 32236-POR 10921. MNRJ 10951, Rio Pescado, Palvidad Fjord (43°03’55.62”S – 72°45’29.04” W), 21 m depth, coll. R. Melzer, 15 March 2007 —fragments from the paratype in MHNG 82685 and RBINSc-IG 32236– POR 10951. RBINSc-IG 32240-POR 12928, 12929, Reñihué Fjord (42°33’08.46”S – 72°31’39.66” W, Chilean Patagonia), 28 m depth, coll. Ph. Willenz and J. Biro, 07 Feb 2009 —fragments from the paratype (respectively) in MNRJ 12928 and 12929.
Additional material (L. lendenfeldi sensu Desqueyroux, 1976; = L. ciruela sp. nov.) MHNG 62578, Caleta Lobato (45°53’S – 74°47’W, Chilean Patagonia); MNHG 62579, Isla San Pedro (approx. 47°41’51’’S – 74°52’39’’W, Chilean Patagonia).
Diagnosis. Latrunculia (L.) ciruela sp. nov. is the only species of Latrunculia (L.) in the Magellanic region with purple-colour when living, round pore fields on top of densely or sparsely arranged papillae, a second category of megascleres comprising rare (acanth)oxeas slightly larger than the styles, and anisodiscorhabds with 2– 4 spined whorls (basal whorl usually with only a few isolated spines).
Description (Fig. 6A). Globular sponge, 3–7 cm in diameter, with conspicuous, regularly distributed, slightly elevated, round papillae, 5–20 mm in diameter, 1–2 mm high. Some of these, flat on top, appear to bear pore fields, some bear oscula, and others still, conical in shape, appear to be closed. Some specimens may bear papillae, which are circular in section, and expanded on their apical portion, thus looking like flat mushrooms. Consistency is firm and rubbery. Live-colour is deep-purple, brownish purple or dark-green, becoming dark brown in ethanol. The holotype is brownish purple.
Skeleton (Fig. 7A). Ectosome in three layers, an outermost single layer palisade of mostly erect anisodiscorhabds, frequently piercing the surface, an intermediate layer (70–100 µm thick) mainly devoid of any spicular skeleton, and a basal layer (100–120 µm thick) composed of megascleres lying parallel to the surface. Here and there, both megascleres and microscleres are seen spread in confusion, but usually in small amounts. There is slight retention of sediment in parts of the surface, where diatoms abound. Choanosome, an irregular reticulation of multispicular tracts of megascleres (ca. 50 µm thick), fanning out towards the ectosome in some places. Abundant microscleres occur in disorder in parts of the subectosomal region. Megasclere brushes at the nodes of the reticulation render the whole architecture rather confused. There appears to be a nearly uninterrupted system of small lacunae separating the ectosome and choanosome. The papillae are supported by a denser arrangement of megascleres, radially oriented when closer to surface (which they frequently pierce), and more confusedly in slightly deeper parts.
Spicules (Figs. 8A–R, 9A). Megascleres. Styles (Fig. 8O), mainly smooth, straight or slightly sinuous, slightly fusiform, sharp apex, occasionally bearing tyles at varied distances from base, but mostly not polytylote, 265–400 µm long and 3–12 µm thick. Oxeas (Figs. 8P–R), rare, mostly bent in the middle (sometimes irregularly crooked), thin, isodiametric, occasionally bearing a few short conical spines, with sharp endings, 300–500 µm long and 5–10 µm thick. Microscleres. Anisodiscorhabds (Figs. 8A–N, 10A): manubrium with large thorns, most frequently smooth; basal whorl variously fused with manubrium, with large, smooth and sharp thorns similar to those of manubrium (Fig. 9A); shaft frequently smooth, occasionally with a few thorns and/or spines (Fig. 8J); median whorl orthogonal, as wide as, or only slightly wider than subsidiary and apical whorls, with clusters of anastomosed thorns which can bear secondary spines or be serrated in parts (Fig. 9A)—this whorl is often incomplete (Figs. 8K–L); subsidiary whorl similar to median one, but mostly slightly bent towards the apex—this whorl also often incomplete (Fig. 8K) or more rarely, totally lacking (Fig. 8G); apical whorl most frequently with nearly erect thorns, thorns sharp (Figs. 8A, E, K) or blunt (Figs. 8H), secondary spines present; 35–50 µm long and 18–33 µm across, shaft 3–10 µm wide. Aberrant forms with variously dwindling resemblances to anisodiscorhabds were also seen (Fig. 8N), but these do not appear to form a distinct category of microscleres.
Distribution and ecology. Most specimens seen occurred below 20 m depth (at low tide), on vertical walls or boulders, at places of limited silting. Some were closely associated to other sponges, polyps, bryozoans, hermitcrabs and/or a holothurian (holotype). MNRJ 10855 and 10858 were full of reproduction bodies (embryos, up to 280 µm in largest diameter).
Etymology. “Ciruela” is used as a noun in apposition. This is the Spanish word for plum, a fruit with a marked resemblance to the new species, especially when the latter has only a sparse distribution of pore-sieves on its surface.
description: Published as part of Hajdu, Eduardo, Desqueyroux-Faúndez, Ruth, Carvalho, Mariana De Souza, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Willenz, Philippe, 2013, Twelve new Demospongiae (Porifera) from Chilean fjords, with remarks upon sponge-derived biogeographic compartments in the SE Pacific, pp. 1-64 in Zootaxa 3744 (1) on pages 30-31, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3744.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5271084