Biemna aurantiaca Bertolino, Costa & Pansini sp. nov.

urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act: DD1D8BC5-DCF9-4294-9FA4-80FFD911417C

Figs 7–8; Table 6

Etymology

The new species is named after its orange colour.

Type material

Holotype

CHILE – Puerto Cisnes • Seno Magdalena G; 44.763254° S, 72.891581° W; depth 15 m; 5–10 Aug. 2016; Marco Bertolino leg.; on a rocky slope by scuba diving; CILE 20; MSGN 61497.

Paratype

CHILE – Puerto Cisnes • 1 specimen; same collection data as for holotype; CILE 6; DISTAV.

Description

HABITUS. Cushion-shaped sponge, almost spherical, 3.5 cm in diameter and ca 2 cm thick. Canal system visible, converging towards round flush oscula. Surface slightly hispid, colour in life bright orange (Fig. 7 A–B). Consistency soft and friable.

SKELETON. Plumoreticulate choanosome (Fig. 7C) with spongin fibres cored by bundles of spicules typical of Biemnidae. Sponge surface appears slightly hispid due to single protruding spicules (Fig. 7C).

SPICULES. Megascleres: Smooth sinuous styles, with regular, round heads (Fig. 8A), 700–(842.5)– 920 μm long and 2.5–(4.8)–7.5 μm thick. Tylostyles sometimes slightly bent near head (Fig. 8B), 120–(269.25)–380 μm long and 5–(12.9)–20 μm thick. Microscleres: two categories of raphids; I, long and thin raphids, curved or slightly sinuous, 105–(129.5)–200 μm long, with microspined extremities (Fig. 8C); II, short and thick raphidioid microxeas with small scattered spines (Fig. 8D), 27.5–(35.6)– 40 × 2 μm long. C-shaped sigmas with microspined extremities, divided into two size categories: sigmas I, 130–(160.8)–170 μm long and × 5–(5.7)–7.5 μm thick (Fig. 8E); sigmas II, 12.5–(13.12)–17.5 μm long (Fig. 8F).

Habitat

Species lives at a depth of 20 m on a vertical wall.

Remarks

We have recorded three new species of the genus Biemna and have therefore decided to make combined remarks after their description.