Scalarispongia cooki Sandes, Muricy & Pinheiro, 2016, sp. nov.
Creators: name: Sandes, Joana
name: Muricy, Guilherme
name: Pinheiro, Ulisses
Publisher: name: Zenodo
Year: 2016
Subjects: Biodiversity
Taxonomy
Animalia
Porifera
Demospongiae
Dictyoceratida
Thorectidae
Scalarispongia
Scalarispongia cooki

description: Scalarispongia cooki sp. nov.
(Fig. 5; Tab. 1)
Cacospongia sp., Muricy et al., 2008: 114.
Type Specimen: Holotype—UFPEPOR 410, Potiguar Basin (4º41’59.9’’S – 36º34’0.4’’W), Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil, 68–75 m depth, leg. Petrobras, 30 May 2004 (Fig. 1).
Diagnosis. Scalarispongia with massive shape, digitiform projections, and irregular surface.
External Morphology (Fig. 5 A). Massive to lobate shape, with bent lobes expanding out from the main body, almost forming branches. The only specimen has 11 cm length by 10 cm maximum width. The color in ethanol is beige with a few light brown and pinkish spots. Color in vivo unknown. The surface is very irregular, slightly microconulose in some parts of sponge. The sponge has a few digitiform projections, up to 1.5 cm height, scattered over the sides. The oscula are rare, circular, and scattered on the surface, 3–8 mm in diameter. The consistency is elastic, difficult to tear.
Skeleton (Fig. 5 B–C). A ladder-like network of concentrically laminated primary and secondary fibers composes the skeleton. Primary fibers are slightly cored by foreign spicules and detritus. Secondary fibers are in the most part uncored and connect the primary fibers mostly in right angles (Fig. 5 B). Secondary fibers may form secondary webs (60–240 µm in diameter, n = 5) and some primary fibers appear perforated by spicules arranged transversally inside them. In the fiber reticulation of the digitiform projections, the secondary webs are more common and the secondary fibers are more abundant than in the sponge body (Fig. 5 C). Primary fibers are 70–94– 120 µm in diameter (n = 10) and secondary fibers measure 10–31–50 µm in diameter (n = 10). The meshes are mostly rectangular to polygonal, but some oval and nearly circular meshes could be observed, often in secondary webs (Fig. 5 B, C; 20–253–870/20–176–600 µm length/width).
Histology (Fig. 5 D–E). The ectosome is fibrous, with few debris and sand grains dispersed outside the fibers (Fig. 5 D). The choanocyte chambers are diplodal, spherical to oval, 12.5–21.2–39.5 µm in diameter (Fig. 5 E; n = 7). Most of them are indistinct due to poor fixation.
Bathymetry and Ecology. The specimen was found at 68–75 m depth. It hosts some polychaetes and is associated with algae and hydroids (Muricy et al., 2008).
TABLE I. Morphological characteristics anđ micrometric đata on the fibers of all species of Scalarispongia anđ the Cacospongia species registeređ from Brazil. Values are in
micrometres (µm), expresseđ as: minimum mean maximum wiđth. Legenđs: TWA, Tropical Western Atlantic Ocean; WIP, Western Inđo-Pacific; TA, Temperate Australasia; TEP,
Tropical Eastern Pacific; TNA, Temperate North Atlantic; TSA, Temperate South America; CIP, Central Inđo-Pacific [biogeographic realms accorđing to Spalđing et al. (2007)].
Scalarispongia Type Depth External morphology Fibers (µm)
species Distribution
Locality (m)
(References) Shape Color Surface Oscules Primary Secondary Meshes
Thick 30 64 150 incrusting, with
Scalarispongia Sergipe 60 92 140 (uncoređ); 37 82.5 150
30 TWA tubular Light brown Microconulose Not visible
tubulata sp. nov. State, Brazil (coređ) pseuđo-tertiary (circular to oval)
projections fibers: 10 25 50 3 8 mm in 20 253 870/20 Rio Granđe Dark greyish-brown
Scalarispongia điameter 70 94 120 10 31 50 176 600
đo Norte 68 75 TWA Massive lobeđ with some ređđish Irregular
cooki sp. nov. (circular, on the (coređ) (uncoređ) (rectangular to State, Brazil spots in ethanol lobes) polygonal) Black (alive anđ in
Regular or ethanol). Microconulose
Scalarispongia Scatteređ over
irregular Subectosomal (1 2 mm height 90 150 25 60
aqabaensis Helmy Egypt 11 WIP the surface (3 5 294 505 (regular)
massive pađs or region is light anđ 2 4 mm (coređ) (uncoređ)
et al., 2004 mm in điameter)
cushions brown apart)
80 700
Scalarispongia Not 50 110 25 50
New Zelanđ TA Fan-shapeđ Not recorđeđ Not recorđeđ Not recorđeđ (polygonal to
flava (Baar, 1904) recorđeđ (coređ) (uncoređ)
rectangular) Black (alive anđ in Sunken into the
Scalarispongia ethanol); the siđes sponge or
incognita Irregularly
Galapagos are light brown anđ slightly elevateđ 120 150 50 100
(Desqueyroux- 30 TEP Cake-shapeđ conulose 100 600/60 200
Islanđs the interior are creamy on low mounđs (coređ) (uncoređ)
Faủnđez & van white in ethanol (2 5 mm in
Soest, 1997) điameter)
Ramose, with
Scalarispongia Greater Not thin branches in Not
linteiformis TWA Gray or brown Not recorđeđ Not recorđeđ Not recorđeđ Not recorđeđ
Antilles recorđeđ form of rounđeđ recorđeđ
Lamarck, 1814) tuff
......continued on the next page TABLE I. (continueđ)
Scalarispongia Type Depth External morphology Fibers (µm)
species Distribution
Locality (m)
(References) Shape Color Surface Oscules Primary Secondary Meshes
Massive base from
Scalarispongia Conulose (conules which conical process
proficens Ađriatic Gray, cream internally are sharp, about 0.5 On top of the 50 110 25 80
2 15 TNA arise (process up to 2 200 1100
Pulitzer-Finali & Sea (in formalin) mm height anđ conical process (coređ) (uncoređ) cm height)
Pronzato, 1981) 1mm apart) Light to međium grey
Scalarispongia on upper areas of the Scatteređ, Massive, irregular anđ
scalaris Ađriatic Not sponge anđ đark gray- usually on
TNA amorphous or slightly Conulose Not recorđeđ Not recorđeđ Not recorđeđ
Schmiđt, 1862) Sea recorđeđ black to greyish in raiseđ areas of lobose
(1) lower areas the surface
30 34 40 90 200
Scalarispongia Cushion-shapeđ; Purplish brown on top, Less than 1
Not Slightly conulose, 70 90; 41 50 (uncoređ); 490/66 250
similis (Thiele, Chile TSA Flatteneđ encrusting light beige on the siđes mm in
recorđeđ unđulating 70 (coređ) tertiary fibres: 353 1905) (2) cushions (in ethanol) điameter 8 19 25 (rectangular)
Cacospongia Bahia Massive or rounđish in Conulose: conules
External: grey;
amorpha, State, 30 TWA the upper part anđ are 1 mm high anđ Not đescribeđ coređ May be coređ Not recorđeđ
Internal: ̎buter-like̎
Polejaeff, 1884 Brazil flatty near the base 3 5 mm apart
Cacospongia Alagoas External: black; TWA anđ
levis Polejaeff, State, 731 Massive Internal: đirty Smooth Not đescribeđ 80 (coređ) 40 (uncoređ) Not recorđeđ
CIP (?)
1884 Brazil yellowish-grey
References: (1) Cook & Bergquist, 2000; (2) Desqueyroux-Faủnđez & van Soest, 1997.
Geographical distribution. Northeastern Brazil (Tropical Western Atlantic): Potiguar Basin, Rio Grande do Norte State.
Etymology. The species is named in honor of Dr. Steve Cook, for his contribution to the knowledge on Dictyoceratida.
Remarks. This species was allocated in Scalarispongia due to its regular ladder-like skeleton. When compared to other congeners from Tropical Western Atlantic Ocean, Scalarispongia cooki sp. nov. differs by its digitiform projections and irregular surface. Furthermore, Scalarispongia linteiformis has a ramose shape, Cacospongia amorpha has larger and more spaced conules and C. levis has black external color and has a smooth surface. None of these species have digitiform projections (Tab. 1).
Scalarispongia tubulata sp. nov. differs from Scalarispongia cooki sp. nov. by a cushion-shape with tubular oscula, microconulose surface, a more irregular reticulation with a well-developed secondary reticulum, and a larger amount of debris coring the primary fibers and in the mesohyl.
description: Published as part of Sandes, Joana, Muricy, Guilherme & Pinheiro, Ulisses, 2016, Thorectinae (Porifera: Demospongiae: Dictyoceratida) from Northeastern Brazil: two new species and transfer of Scalarispongia cincta (Boury-Esnault, 1973) to the genus Thorecta Lendenfeld, 1888, pp. 158-170 in Zootaxa 4184 (1) on pages 164-168, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4184.1.10, http://zenodo.org/record/164560