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Mycale alagoana sp.nov. and two new formal records of Porifera (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida) from the shallow-water reefs of Alagoas (Brazil)

Mycale alagoana sp.nov. e dois novos registros formais de Porifera (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida) dos recifes rasos de Alagoas, Brasil

Abstracts

The Porifera occurring at Alagoas State reefs (north-eastern Brazil) are still little-known, with few species listed and even fewer formally described. From a total of 48 species recorded from the state, only eight belong to the Poecilosclerida, including those (re)described in this study. Here we describe a new species, Mycale (Mycale) alagoana sp.nov., and redescribe two species: Lissodendoryx (Lissodendoryx) isodictyalis (Carter, 1882) and Mycale (Naviculina) diversisigmata Van Soest, 1984, both first formal redescriptions from the Southwestern Atlantic. Additionally, Mycale (Aegogropila) escarlatei Hajdu et al., 1995 is here reported from Alagoas for the first time, in discussing the difficulties inherent to recognition in the field of small crustose Mycalids with neatly reticulated surfaces.

faunistics; Lissodendoryx; coral reef; sandstone reef; taxonomy


Os poríferos dos recifes do Estado de Alagoas (nordeste do Brasil) são ainda pouco conhecidos, com poucas espécies formalmente descritas. Dentre as 48 espécies de Demospongiae registradas para o estado, apenas oito pertencem à Ordem Poecilosclerida, incluindo o material (re)descrito aqui. No presente estudo se descreve uma espécie nova Mycale (Mycale) alagoana sp.nov., e duas espécies são redescritas: Lissodendoryx (Lissodendoryx) isodictyalis (Carter, 1882) e Mycale (Naviculina) diversisigmata Van Soest, 1984, ambas, primeiras redescrições formais para para o Sudoeste do Atlântico. Adicionalmente, Mycale (Aegogropila) escarlatei Hajdu et al., 1995 é registrada aqui para Alagoas pela primeira vez, na discussão das dificuldades inerentes ao reconhecimento em campo de pequenos Mycalídeos incrustantes com superfícies claramente reticuladas.

faunística; Lissodendoryx; recife de coral; recife de arenito; taxonomia


ARTICLES

Mycale alagoana sp.nov. and two new formal records of Porifera (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida) from the shallow-water reefs of Alagoas (Brazil)

Mycale alagoana sp.nov. e dois novos registros formais de Porifera (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida) dos recifes rasos de Alagoas, Brasil

Victor Ribeiro CedroI, ** Corresponding author: Victor Ribeiro Cedro, e-mail: vrcedro@gmail.com; Eduardo HajduII; Monica Dorigo CorreiaI, III

IPrograma de Pós-graduação em Diversidade Biológica e Conservação nos Trópicos, Universidade Federal de Alagoas - UFA, Praça Afrânio Jorge, s/n, CEP 57010-020, Maceió, AL, Brasil

IIMuseu Nacional, Departamento de Invertebrados, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro - UFRJ, Quinta da Boa Vista, s/n, CEP 20940-040, Rio de Janeiro, RJ, Brasil

IIIInstituto de Ciências Biológicas, Laboratórios Integrados de Ciências do Mar e Naturais - LABMAR, Universidade Federal de Alagoas - UFA, Rua Aristeu de Andrade, 453 - Farol, CEP 57021-090, Maceió, AL, Brasil

ABSTRACT

The Porifera occurring at Alagoas State reefs (north-eastern Brazil) are still little-known, with few species listed and even fewer formally described. From a total of 48 species recorded from the state, only eight belong to the Poecilosclerida, including those (re)described in this study. Here we describe a new species, Mycale (Mycale) alagoana sp.nov., and redescribe two species: Lissodendoryx (Lissodendoryx) isodictyalis (Carter, 1882) and Mycale (Naviculina) diversisigmata Van Soest, 1984, both first formal redescriptions from the Southwestern Atlantic. Additionally, Mycale (Aegogropila) escarlatei Hajdu et al., 1995 is here reported from Alagoas for the first time, in discussing the difficulties inherent to recognition in the field of small crustose Mycalids with neatly reticulated surfaces.

Keywords: faunistics, Lissodendoryx, coral reef, sandstone reef, taxonomy.

RESUMO

Os poríferos dos recifes do Estado de Alagoas (nordeste do Brasil) são ainda pouco conhecidos, com poucas espécies formalmente descritas. Dentre as 48 espécies de Demospongiae registradas para o estado, apenas oito pertencem à Ordem Poecilosclerida, incluindo o material (re)descrito aqui. No presente estudo se descreve uma espécie nova Mycale (Mycale) alagoana sp.nov., e duas espécies são redescritas: Lissodendoryx (Lissodendoryx) isodictyalis (Carter, 1882) e Mycale (Naviculina) diversisigmata Van Soest, 1984, ambas, primeiras redescrições formais para para o Sudoeste do Atlântico. Adicionalmente, Mycale (Aegogropila) escarlatei Hajdu et al., 1995 é registrada aqui para Alagoas pela primeira vez, na discussão das dificuldades inerentes ao reconhecimento em campo de pequenos Mycalídeos incrustantes com superfícies claramente reticuladas.

Palavras-chave: faunística, Lissodendoryx, recife de coral, recife de arenito, taxonomia.

Introduction

Several taxonomic studies were carried out on marine poriferans occurring along the northeastern Brazilian shelf, beginning in the second half of the 19th century with the expedition of the H.M.S Challenger (Poléjaeff 1884, Ridley & Dendy 1887, Schulze 1887, Sollas 1888), and revealing the high diversity of Porifera in this region. Nevertheless, only a small portion of the sponges occurring along the northeastern Brazilian shelf has been the subject of detailed taxonomic study, as important contributions to the assessment of this fauna include only brief descriptions (e.g. Boury-Esnault 1973, Hechtel 1983, Muricy et al. 2007, 2008). As pointed out earlier by Hajdu et al. (1996), these sponges await to be discovered, were discovered but await to be (re)described, or authors preferred to list, instead of listing and (re)describing them in some extent (Muricy & Moraes 1998, Moraes et al. 2006, Cedro et al. 2007).

Alagoas state has a coastline 230 km long, with main reef areas located in its central and northern portions. These reefs are predominantly built by coralline algae and sandstones, but rich concentrations of hermatipic corals can also be seen in many places (Correia 2010). Together with reefs of southern Pernambuco State, those of northern Alagoas belong to the Environmental Protection Area known as "APA Costa dos Corais" (Brasil 1997). The complex system of coastal reefs, mangroves and coastal lagoons is mostly a consequence of shifting sea levels during the last 7000 years of the Quaternary (Correia & Sovierzoski 2009). Main biogeographic affinities of the shallow reef poriferan fauna are Tropical western Atlantic, with important Caribbean and Brazilian endemic components (Hechtel 1976, Sarmento & Correia 2002, Cedro et al. 2007).

Hundreds of sponges have been collected along the Alagoas State coastline in the last years, but the faunistic inventory from the area lacks a detailed taxonomic basis. This study describes a new species and redescribes two poecilosclerid species that had never been formally described from the Southwestern Atlantic.

Materials and methods

Collecting localities were situated along Alagoas State coast, at the state´s capital Maceió (Jatiúca, Ponta do Meirim and Piscina dos Amores) and to its south (Marechal Deodoro, Praia do Francês), between the coordinates 09º 32' 32.22'' S - 035º 36' 49.80'' W and 09º 45' 54.35'' S - 035º 50' 08.22'' W (Figure 1). Collected specimens were split between the LABMAR (UFAL) and MNRJ (UFRJ) sponge collections. The collection was conducted manually, by snorkeling in shallow tide pools (mini-lagoons). Specimens were photographed in situ prior to fixation in 96% ethanol. Conservation was later obtained in ethanol 80%. Description was based on preparations of thick sections and dissociated spicules, the latter examined under light, as well as scanning electron microscopes. Means presented were obtained from 30 measurements unless stated otherwise.


Results

Class Demospongiae Sollas, 1885

Order Poecilosclerida Topsent, 1928

FAMILY COELOSPHAERIDAE DENDY, 1922

Genus Lissodendoryx Topsent, 1892

Lissodendoryx (Lissodendoryx) isodictyalis (Carter, 1882)

Figures 2a, 3a-f, Table 1



Synonymy cf. Rützler et al. (2007)

Studied material: MNRJ 14277, Ponta do Meirim (coral reef, ca. 09º 32' 32.22''S -035º 36' 49.80'' W), Maceió (AL, Brazil), 0,5-1 m depth, coll. E. Hajdu, 30/i/2010.

Description: Small sponge (ca. 2.5 cm in its greatest diameter, 5 mm thick), soft, smooth, green alive (Figure 2a), white in ethanol. Underneath its translucid ectosomal membrane, a honey-combed pattern is apparent in the live sponge. Ectosomal skeleton composed by brushes of tylotes, evenly spaced, penetrating the subectosomal region in the form of tracts of tylotes (Figure 3a). Microscleres scattered and abundant. Choanosomal skeleton a neat isodictyal reticulation of single styles, with scattered microscleres (Figure 3b).

Spicules (Table 1, Figures 3c-f): Megascleres. Tylotes (ectosomal), straight, smooth, with pronounced heads (Figure 3c). Styles (choanosomal), slightly curved, sharp apex (Figure 3d). Microscleres. Isochelae, arcuate, length of terminations ca. 33% the total microsclere length (Figure 3e). Sigmas, smooth, C- and S-shaped (Figure 3f).

Distribution: Tropical western Atlantic - Gulf of Mexico (Rützler et al. 2009); Caribbean (Bermuda, Florida, Bahamas, Panama, Belize, Jamaica, Cuba, Colombia, Venezuela - Zea 1987, Díaz 2005, Rützler et al. 2007). Brazil (Pernambuco, Alagoas - de Laubenfels 1956, present study). Records from other parts of the world need verification (Rützler et al. 2007).

Ecology: The observed specimen encrusted the underside of a dead coral boulder in a shallow tidal pool subject to high temperatures and considerable salinity fluctuation. Similar ecological resilience was observed in Caribbean mangrove specimens by Rützler (1995).

Remarks: Albeit registered for Brazil long ago (De Laubenfels 1956), the species never had its identity confirmed through a comprehensive redescription. This is done here. The Alagoas specimen conforms in every respect to the excellent redescription provided in Rützler et al. (2007), as is apparent from the spicule micrometries contrasted in Table 1. Spicule overall morphology is shown in Figure 3, which perfectly fits the variability illustrated in Rützler et al. (Op. Cit.) Figure 2. The latter authors did not confirm the Brazilian record of the species, limiting its distribution range to 10º 28' N-32º 19' N. This range is expanded here to 09º 32' S - 32º 19' N. De Laubenfels (1956) citation for Pernambuco has been verified from a fragment of the original unregistered material housed in the Museu de Zoologia of São Paulo University (MZUSP). Its micrometric values differ only slightly from those obtained for the Alagoas specimen, and even less from the known variability reported from the Caribbean region. The specimen from Pernambuco has the shortest tylotes among those listed in Table 2, but this appears quite unimportant to us due to a lack of congruence with additional diagnostic features. As currently understood, Lissodendoryx (L.) isodictyalis is a Tropical western Atlantic endemic.

FAMILY MYCALIDAE LUNDBECK, 1905

Genus Mycale Gray, 1867

Mycale (Mycale) alagoana sp.nov.

Figures 2b, 4a-p, Table 2

Mycale arenaria Hajdu & Desqueyroux-Faúndez, 1994; sensu Muricy & Hajdu, 2006: 63 (non M. arenaria of authors). ? Mycale aff. arenaria Hajdu & Desqueyroux-Faúndez, 1994; sensu Moraes et al., 2006: 168 (checklist - no description).

Holotype. MNRJ 4624, Praia do Francês (sandstone reef, ca. 09º 45' 54.35'' S - 035º 50' 08.22'' W), Marechal Deodoro (AL, Brazil), 1-3 m depth, coll. E. Hajdu, 04/ix/2001. Paratype. UFAL-POR 0139, Piscina dos Amores reef (coral reef, 09º 40' 09.24'' S - 035º 42' 14.16'' W), Pajuçara Reef, Maceió (AL, Brazil), 0-2 m depth, coll. E. Hajdu, 05/ix/2001.

Comparative materials: Mycale (Mycale) arenaria Hajdu & Desqueyroux-Faúndez, 1994 (UFRJPOR 2431, holotype; MNRJ 2436-2438, paratypes).

Diagnosis: The only Mycale in the immitis-group with rosettes of anisochelae-I and -II, as well as sigmas in three size categories.

Description: Small sponges (rarely over 3 cm in maximum diameter) forming thick cushion-shaped incrustations on hard substrate. Color alive greenish-yellow (Figure 2b), turning into beige in ethanol. Surface with coarse sediment embedded, elevated into volcaniform projections toped by oscula (usually 1-2 mm diameter). Pore grooves form short, conspicuous meandering canals on the surface. Consistency is fragile, easily torn apart. Ectosomal skeleton a loose reticulation of mycalostyles, both single and in short paucispicular bundles (Figure 4a). Every microsclere category is common or even abundant (anisochelae III and trichodragmas, Figure 4b), but for the anisochelae I, which occur only here and there, and not forming rosettes. Foreign particles, as sand grains, occur ramdomly too. The choanosomal architecture is markedly cavernous, with multispicular bundles of mycalostyles (80-230 µm in diameter) running longitudinaly and spreading slightly into bouquets in the subectosomal region. Rosettes of anisochelae I are abundant in the subectosomal region (up to 3mm deep in the sponge) attached to the multispicular bundles (Figure 4c). Trichodragmas also abound in this area. Spongin not clearly visible either in the ectosome or the choanosome.

Spicules (Table 2, Figures 4d-p): Megascleres. Mycalostyles I (ectosomal), slightly curved, sharp apex (Figure 4e). Mycalostyles II (choanosomal), straight, sharp apex (Figure 4d). Microscleres. Anisochelae I (largest), in rosettes, palmate, curved in side view, with open head (frontal alae forming obtuse angle with shaft, about 25% the entire spicule height) and foot alae prolonged basally forming a round pore (Figure 4f-h). Anisochelae II (intermediate, uncommon), one ectosomal rosette seen, palmate, well developed head and foot alae prolonged basally forming a round pore, the former about 60% the entire spicule height (Figure 4i-j). Anisochelae III (smallest), palmate, well developed head comprising 60% the entire spicule height, rudimentary foot bearing a basal spur (Figure 4k-l). Sigmas I (largest), shallow curve, smooth, apices sharp (Figure 4m). Sigmas II (intermediate), deep curve, smooth, apices sharp (Figure 4n). Sigmas III (smallest), deep curve, smooth, apices sharp (Figure 4o). Raphides, straight, smooth (Figure 4p).

Distribution: Brazilian endemic (Alagoas State).

Ecology: The species has been observed on semi-exposed surfaces, subject to considerable sedimentation and epibiosis, on rather shallow habitats. These are subject to wide fluctuations in environmental parameters such as temperature and salinity.

Remarks: Mycale (M.) alagoana sp.nov. is the second species belonging to the "immitis-group" (sensu Hajdu, 1995), and only the third belonging to that author's "curved assemblage" to be found along the Brazilian coast. The other species in the immitis species group is Mycale (M.) arenaria Hajdu & Desqueyroux-Faúndez, 1994, originally reported from the Brazilian southeast, Rio de Janeiro and Espírito Santo States. Both species can be set apart in view of the anisochelae-II of distinct morphology (less anisochela-I like), which may occur in rosettes, and sigmas in three size-categories observed in the new species. Mycale (M.) arenaria, on the contrary, possesses exceedingly rare anisochelae-II quite comparable to its anisochelae-I in having a markedly curved shaft in side view, never seen to form rosettes, and sigmas in a single homogeneous size-category, roughly equivalent to the new species' intermediate category.

Moraes et al. (2006) reported Mycale aff. arenaria from Brazilian oceanic islands, but provided no formal description of the studied material. These samples have to be studied in detail before acceptance of this large range extension for the southeastern Brazilian species, especially because the diagnostic traits to recognize the new species proposed here derive from characters that may be quite uncommon.

Distinction of Mycale (M.) alagoana sp.nov. from M. (M.) beatrizae is much easier, as the latter species has a single category of considerably shorter mycalostyles, smaller anisochelae-I with relatively stouter heads, unspurred anisochelae-III, sigmas in two size categories roughly equivalent to the new species' categories II and III, and is devoid of raphides and/or trichodragmata.

Hajdu (1995) revised the whole "curved-assemblage" - 32 species, wherefrom it appears that no other Mycale approaches the new species as closely as Mycale (M.) arenaria, which has already been contrasted to the new species above. The latter is thus judged confidently distinguished from other closely related species.

Mycale (Naviculina) diversisigmata van Soest, 1984

Figures 2c-d, 5a-i, Table 3

Mycale (Aegogropila) diversisigmata Van Soest, 1984: 21. Mycale diversisigmata, Cedro et al., 2007: 236.

Studied material: MNRJ 4721, Piscina dos Amores (coral reef, 09º 40' 09.24'' S - 035º 42' 14.16'' W), Pajuçara Reef, Maceió (AL, Brazil), 1m depth, coll. E. Hajdu, 05/ix/2001. UFAL-POR 0122, Jatiúca (coral reef, ca. 09º 39' 14.50'' S - 035º 41' 45.41'' W), Maceió (AL, Brazil), 0.5-1 m depth, coll. M.D. Correia, 09/ix/2003. UFAL-POR 0183, Ponta do Meirim (coral reef, 09º 32' 32.22'' S-035º 36' 49.80 '' W), Maceió (AL, Brazil), ca. 0.5 m, coll. E.Hajdu, 30/i/2010.

Description: Thinly encrusting sponges usually smaller than 3 cm in their widest portion and 2 mm where thickest. Color alive has been observed to be bright yellow or vermillion red (Figures 2c-d), becoming white to beige in ethanol. The sponge surface is neatly reticulated to the naked eye, bearing scattered oscules about 1 mm in diameter, and surrounded by short chimney-like membranes. Consistency rather soft and fragile, easily torn. Ectosomal skeleton a neat reticulation of paucispicular bundles (3-4 spicules across) forming mostly triangular meshes (120-550 µm in diameter, Figure 5a). Spongin is not clearly visible, but microscleres are everywhere. Anisochelae I form conspicuous rosettes, mostly seen attached to the tangential paucispicular bundles of megascleres, but also right in the middle of the meshes. Naviculichelae of both categories are rather abundant in the meshes, around the pores (20-100 µm in diameter). Sigmas, normal-shaped (C and S) and flageliform (U-shaped), are less abundant, but are clearly visible too. The choanosomal architecture could not be made out from the material in hand due to its rather thinly incrusting habit and somewhat macerated condition.

Spicules (Table 3, Figures 5b-i): Megascleres. Mycalostyles, nearly straight (only slightly sinuous), fusiform, sharp apex (Figure 5b). Microscleres. Anisochelae (mostly in rosettes), palmate, slightly curved in side view, foot alae prolonged basally forming a round pore (Figure 5c-e). Naviculichelae I (largest), head about 85% the entire spicule height (Figure 5f). Naviculichelae II (smallest), head about 75% the entire spicule height (Figure 5g). Sigmas I, U-shaped, smooth, sharp apices (Figure 5h). Sigmas II, U-shaped, smooth, sharp apices (Figure 5h). Sigmas III, C- and S-shaped, smooth, sharp apices (Figure 5i). Sigmas IV, C- and S-shaped, smooth, sharp apices, absent in one specimen.

Distribution: Tropical western Atlantic - Caribbean (Curaçao - Van Soest, 1984). Brazil (Alagoas - Cedro et al., 2007).

Ecology: This is a sciophilous sponge found only underneath coral boulders of variable dimension. In general, its ecological requirements match those reported above for the other species redescribed here, as its habitat is also subject to considerable fluctuations in temperature and salinity.

Remarks: This is the first redescription of this species from outside its type locality in Curaçao. (Netherlands Antilles, southern Caribbean). The species is nearly indistinguishable from Mycale (Aegogropila) escarlatei Hajdu et al.,1995 in the field, which has also been collected in the reefs of Maceió. Obvious crustose mycalids with neat ectosomal reticulations were relatively common in Maceió reefs. Of fourteen collected specimens, six turned out to be M. (N.) diversisigmata (also from Mirante da Sereia, ca. 09° 33' 56'' S - 035º 38' 42'' W; and Guaxuma, ca. 09º 35' 26'' S - 035º 39' 55'' W), seven were M. (A.) escarlatei (red), and one is an unidentified M. (Naviculina) (dull-yellow). M. (N.) diversisigmata, which had its distribution range expanded from the single locality record in Curaçao, at about 12º 16' N - 069º 07' W to 09º 40' S. Toxas and sigmas IV were reported by Van Soest (1984) to be rare in the type material. They were not found in all specimens studied here, and the sigmas IV observed in MNRJ 4721 were rather smaller than those of the type material. This is suggestive that additional Caribbean material should be studied to better characterize variability in that area, thus permitting sounder assignment of Brazilian putative conspecific populations.

Discusion

The updated list of sponges known from the State of Alagoas comprises now 48 species (Table 4). Only a small fraction of these has been formally described on the basis of Alagoas' materials, and as such, knowledge of the state's sponge biota is even meager than it seems. This list is likely to represent less than 20% of the sponge fauna occurring in the state's coast, as is already indicated by the large numbers of species not yet identified, housed in the LABMAR and MNRJ collections, all derived from wading and snorkeling at low tide. Alagoas belongs to the North-eastern Brazilian ecoregion, which has a major tropical character, Caribbean in affinity. This is reflected in the observation that 29 out of 48 species (60%) registered for the state are tropical western Atlantic endemics, reported from the Caribbean too, and in many cases from distinct localities along the Brazilian coast. This is the case of rather common species such as Cinachyrella alloclada, Dragmacidon reticulatum, Scopalina ruetzleri and Tedania ignis; but also observed in more uncommon species as Geodia papyracea and Mycale escarlatei. Five species are so far Brazilian endemics, viz. Biemna microacanthosigma, Characella aspera, Echinodictyum dendroides, Mycale alagoana sp.nov. and Penares anisoxia. Nine species have supposedly wider, disjunct distributions, at least some of which in need of revisionary study. These are Cacospongia levis, Chondrilla aff. nucula, Cliona celata complex, Corallistes typus, Euplectella suberea, Pheronema carpenteri, Placospongia aff. melobesioides, Tethya aff. maza and Thenea fenestrata. The remaining five species are incompletely identified and need further taxonomic study to determine their status as known or new species.

Acknowledgements

Prof. Dr. Gustavo A.S. de Melo is thanked for loan of the MZUSP specimen of Lissodendoryx isodictyalis (determined by De Laubenfels, 1956). Elivaldo de Lima and Amanda Garcez da Veiga are thanked for SEM operation at the Center for Scanning Electron Microscopy of the Departamento de Invertebrados (Museu Nacional/UFRJ). The establishment of this Center was achieved thanks to a grant from CENPES/PETROBRAS, and is part of the company's Thematic Network for Marine Environmental Monitoring. Dr. Hilda Helena Sovierzoski and Álvaro Altenkirch Borba Jr. are thanked for help with the collection of specimens. Dr. Mariana de Souza Carvalho, M.Sc. Daniela Almeida Lopes and M.Sc. Sula Salani Mota are thanked for helping VRC in the Porifera Taxonomy Laboratory at Museu Nacional/UFRJ. CNPq, FAPEAL and FAPERJ provided grants and/or fellowships that are greatly acknowledged.

Recebido em 04/09/2010

Versão reformulada recebida em 15/02/2011

Publicado em 15/02/2011

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  • *
    Corresponding author: Victor Ribeiro Cedro, e-mail:
  • Publication Dates

    • Publication in this collection
      12 Sept 2011
    • Date of issue
      Mar 2011

    History

    • Accepted
      15 Feb 2011
    • Reviewed
      15 Feb 2011
    • Received
      04 Sept 2010
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