Cladorhiza hubbsi Austin 2017

Cladorhiza hubbsi p. nov.

Figs. 6, Table 1.

Type material. Holotype: SCRIPPS Institute of Oceanography Benthic Invertebrate Collection, Cat. No. P 675, Acc. No. 1969.003, Station MV 69-VI-9, West of Patton Escarpment (31.2° N, 119.6167° W, 3600 m), Southern California, USA, R/ V Melville using 25’ otter trawl. Date of collection December 18, 1969. Fixed in 5% SWF.

Etymology. Named in honor of Dr. Carl Leavitt Hubbs, renowned ichthyologist who studied both freshwater and marine fishes and had a keen interest in zoogeography, biology, hybridization, taxonomy, ocean temperature paleo-history, and more. Dr. Hubbs had an amazingly productive career, with nearly 712 publications to his credit with considerable emphasis placed on educating the public and actively promoting conservation.

L 108.8 ± 6.4 µm (n=53) L sigmancistra 51.2 ± 3.8 µm L 34.5 ± 1.5 µm (n=67)

(n=58)

L 136.2 ± 7.8 µm (n=48) L sigmancistra 94 ± 8.8 µm (n=87) L 31.4 ± 1.8 µm (n=57) Diagnosis. Crinorhiza form, very conical, parasol-shaped sponge, on stalk of unknown true length. Three size classes of megasclere styles and three microsclere categories including tridentate unguiferate anisochelae, contort sigmancistra, and pseudoamphiaster.

Description. Holotype: Deeply conical parasol form, with a flat-topped parasol apex. Apex measures 7 mm in diameter. At its widest point in cross section the parasol, excluding filaments, is 1.1 cm in diameter, parasol edge filaments are numerous and surround the parasol, measuring 4.1–5.1 cm in length. Stalk is broken and measures 3.5 cm in length and 1.1 mm wide. Total length is 6.6 cm, however, attachment base is broken off so neither total length nor attachment type are known. Just below the parasol/stalk junction is a large, ovoid swelling that is 8 mm long and 5 mm in diameter. Brownish-yellow in preserved state.

Spicules. Large style 1 length 5067 ± 769.1 µm, n=53, width 70.48 ± 9.4 µm, n=93; large style 2 length 4172.3 ± 460.4 µm, n=45, width 61.5 ± 18.2 µm, n=44; large style 3 length 2565.1 ± 467.8 µm, n=83, width 44.1 ± 14.8 µm, n=83; tridentate unguiferate anisochelae 31.4 ± 1.8 µm, n=57; pseudoamphiaster with 4–6 alae (most often 5) 136.2 ± 7.8 µm, n=48; sigmancistra 94 ± 8.8 µm, n=87 and these occur only in the apical surfaces of the parasol.

Habitat and associated fauna. Trawled specimen, no additional information provided.

Remarks. Cladorhiza hubbsi sp. nov. differs from Cladorhiza corona (Lehnert et al., 2005) and C. longipinna (Ridley & Dendy, 1886) in both morphology and presence of pseudoamphiasters, as described above for C. mexicana sp. nov. Likewise, Cladorhiza mirabilis Ridley & Dendy, 1886 differs from C. hubbsi sp. nov. in both size and spiculation. For example, Cladorhiza mirabilis has a longitudinal length of 6 mm, yet parasol filament length alone measures 4.2–5.1 cm in C. hubbsi sp. nov. and parasol edge to edge, excluding filaments measures 1.1 cm. In addition, the parasol is deeply conical, with parasol edge filaments pointing downward, nearly perpendicular to the stalk axis and less obliquely than that described for C. mirabilis. Cladorhiza mirabilis does have pseudoamphiasters but they are of a much larger size (230 µm in C. mirabilis vs. 136 µm in C. hubbsi sp. nov.). Pseudoamphiasters in C. mirabilis and C. hubbsi sp. nov. appear to be symmetrical with alae length on each end of the pseudoamphiasters being equal in length on each side. Large styles in C. hubbsi sp. nov. are found in three size classes and the largest size class is considerably larger than those listed for C. mirabilis (5067 µm in C. hubbsi sp. nov. vs. ~3500 µm in C. mirabilis). Anisochelae are smaller in C. hubbsi sp. nov. (38 µm in C. mirabilis vs. 31.4 µm in C. hubbsi sp. nov.). In general, sigmancistra appear to be larger in C. hubbsi sp. nov. as well (94 µm in C. hubbsi sp. nov. vs. 76 µm in C. mirabilis). Brownish-yellow in preserved state.