ltalian Journal oJ Zoology, June 2006; 73 (2): 191-194 Q Taylor &Francis~ T4)'Ior&rr.nv~~

A new species of Cliona (Demospongiae, Hadromerida) from theMediterranean Sea

GIUSEPPE CORRIERO* & CARLOTT A NONNIS MARZANO

Dipartimento di Zoologia, Università di Bari, Bari, ltaly

(Received 6 October 2005; accepted 9 January 2006)

Abstract

A new species ofthe genus Cliona is described: Cliona spissaspira sp. n., collected at l m depth in a shallow bay ofthe Ioniancoast of Apulia (Southern Italy). The species, erected on the basis of the finding of two small specimens, shows a boringhabitus, with an irregular pattern of galleries and spaciously distributed perforating chambers. Its colour varies from orangeto light brown. The spiculation consists of short robust rylosryles, together with smooth thick spirasters. The latter vary inlength and shape, and constitute the main diagnostic character of the species. The affiniry of these species with otherMediterranean Clionaidae is discussed.

Keywords: Boring sponges, Cliona, new species, Mediterranean Sea

Introduction

The Ionian sponge fauna rernains poorly known inspite of a large number of studies on the taxonomy

and distribution of Mediterranean sponges which,however, mainly refer to the western coasts (seePansini & Longo 2003).

The genus Cliona, erected by Grant (1826) for C.celata, comprises sponges boring into calcareous

substrata (both organogenic and inorganic), display­ing three different stages of growth: alpha (excavat­ing, with inhalant and exhalant papillae protruding

from the substrate), beta (encrusting) and gamma(massive) (Rosell & Uriz 1997). Mega and micro­scleres are mainly represented by tylostyles and

spirasters, respectively, the latter frequenùy showingamphiastrose modifications or lacking spines, thusturning into entirely smooth forms. According toRosell & Uriz (1997), such microscleres are to be

considered as sinuous microstrongyles rather thanstreptasters. On the basis of this assumption the

latter authors suggested the edification of the genusBematia for B. vennifera (Hancock, 1867) (=C.vennifera) .

The genus Cliona is distributed worldwide, with

more than 100 species described (Rutzler 2002a).

Pansini & Longo (2003) repon 12 species belongingto this genus for the Mediterranean. They agre e with

Rosell & Uriz (1991, 1997, 2002) who consider C.copiosa Sarà, 1959, C. nigricans (Schmidt, 1862) and

C. tremitensis Sarà, 1961 as different growth stages ofC. vin'dis (Schmidt, 1862) (the so called "Cliona

virìdis complex"). However, two of these species, C.copiosa and C. nigricans, are accepted by severalauthors, who suppon their existence on the basis ofmorphological and ecological observations (Rutzler1973; Corriero 1989; Barbieri et al. 1995; Calcinaiet al. 1999).

Nine species of Cliona (namely C. LOpsemi

(Lendenfeld, 1896), C. vennifera, C. celata, C.copiosa, C. nzgrìcans, C. rhodensis Rutzler &Bromley, 1981, C. parenzani Corriera & Scalera

Liaci, 1997, C. schmidli (Ridley, 1881) and C.virìdis) have been reponed for the Ionian Sea(Pulitzer-Finali 1983; Corriera et al. 1984;

Corriera 1990; Corriero & Scalera Liaci 1997;

Pansini & Longo 2003). The present work describesa new species of Cliona, C. spissaspira, collecred

along the Ionian coast of Italy (pono Cesareo,

Apulia). This finding brings to IO the total numberof lonian species known for the genus.

·Correspondence: Giuseppe Corriera, Dipartimento di Zoologia. UnivcrsiIil di Bari, Via Orabona 4, 1-70125 Bari, Italy. Tel/Fax: 080-5443357. Email:g.corriero@biologia.uniba.it

ISSN 1125-0003 prinliISSN 1748-5851 onlinc O 2006 Unione Zoologica ItalianaDO!: 10.108011 1250000600679496

192 G. Corriera & C. Nonnis Marzano

Materials and methods

The investigated specimens were sampled from thehard bottoms of the Strea Basin (Figure l), nearPorto Cesareo (Ionian sea, 40°15' N, 17°54' E), at adepth of l m.

The collected material was tixed with formalde­

hyde (4% in seawater) and preserved in ethanol(70%). Transverse sections, perpendicular to thesurface, ofparaffin-embedded sponges were preparedin order to study the spicular arrangement. Spiculepreparations were made by dissolving spongefragments in boiling nitric acido Ranges and meanspicule sizes were calculated from 50 measurementsfor each type of spicule. For SEM micrographs,spicule mounts were covered with gold-palladiumand observed under a Philips scanning electronmicroscope.

Ta:xonomic account

CUONAIDAE D'Orbigny, 1851Cliona Grant, 1862Cliona spissaspira n. sp.

Materia! examined

MZB POR PC 59, holotype; MZB POR PC 59a,paratype. The material was collected by G. Corrieroon 21 May 2001. Holotype, paratype and slidepreparations are deposited in the Zoology Museumof the Bari University.

Figure I. Porto Cesareo, Strea Basin: locarion of sampling sire.

Description

Two small specimens boring in the ca!careous rockyplatform, whose presence is revealed by protrudingpapillae covering about 3 and 5 cm2 of substrate,rcspcctivcJy. Colour: rcd, orangc, brownish in livcspecimens, brown in ethanol. The cylindrical papil­lae (0.25-1.5 mm in diameter) show a verrucosesurface bearing either grouped ostia or oscula at thetop. Consistency: fleshy. An irregular arrangementof galleries and spaciously distributed perforatingchambers is recognizable. They are spherical or sub­spherical and measure from 0.5 to 1.5 rom indiameter.

Skeletal arrangement. The skeleton consists oftylostyles and spirasters, the latter mainly confinedto the choanosome around the canals of theaquiferous system. The ectosome is reinforced byvertically arranged tylostyles, whose tips slightlyprotrude from the sponge surface. In thechoanosome, tylostyles lie predominantly tangenti alto the substrate. Sand parti cles are always foundembedded in the sponge tissue.

Spicules. Robust tylostyles with a well-developedhead and a sharp point, gradually taperingfrom the middle of the shaft. They measure 144­2641-lID (227.8 ± 45.31-lID) in length x 4-5.41-lID(4.3 ± 0.4 f.lm) in width; their heads are 6-8.4 f.lm(6.9±0.6f.lm) in diameter (Figures2A, C; 3A-D).They may occasionally present a rounded end(Figure 3E).

Smooth spirasters, C-shaped or elongated, withor without undulations; their dimensions are 65­92f.lm (77.8±14.11-lID)x8-12f.lm (l0.2±2.1f.lm)(Figure 3F-M). Shorrer and thicker spirasters (about40 l-lIDlong, up to 20 l-lIDt.t:!ick)can also be found(Figure 2B, C) .

."'=--====~--_AFigure 2. A, il. Light micrographs of Cluma spissaspira n. sp. A.Tylostyles. B. Smooth spirasters of differem thickness and length.C. Orawing of spicules. Scale bars: A, C. 50 Ilm. B. 80 !lm.

Figure 3. SEM micrographs of Cliona spissaspira n. sp. A-D.Heads of rylosryles. E. Modified rylosryle with rounded end. F­M. Smooth spirasters of differem thickness. Scale bars: A-E.5 Ilm. F-M. 50 Ilm.

Ecology

The species inhabits the Strea, a small shelteredbasin dose to Porto Cesareo, along the IonianApulian coast, characterized by high water exchangewith the sea and by depths of less than 3 m. Thebasin is very rich in calcareous substrates consistingof wide platforrns and stones of differem sizes. Thisis an elective habitat for sponges, which constitutethe main componem ofthe zoobenthos (Mercurio etal. 2001), among which boring sponges show highspecies richness and abundance (Corriero 1990). C.spissaspira was found boring inta the superficialportion of the carbonatic platforrns (down to 2 cmunder the rocky surface), at 1 m of depth. In additionto C. spissaspira other boring sponges occur in thishabitat: C. cdata, C. viridis, C. copiosa, C. schmidti,

C. parenzani and Pione vastifua (Hancock 1849).The latter species, which shows oxeas as mainspicules, may be confused in the field with C.spissaspira due to the similar size and colour of itspapillae.

Elymology

The presence of thick spirasters suggested the nameof the species.

New species DJ Cliona 193

Conclusive remarks

The main diagnostic character of the species heredescribed consists of the occurrence of thick smoothspirasters with variable shape and undulationreduced to no more than l or 2 curves, sometimescompletely lacking. Smooth or delicately microspi­nulated spirasters are trequem in the boring genusSpiroxya and Pione (Calcinai et al. 2000; Riitzler2002b), but are relatively uncommon among clionidspecies. Smooth spirasters occur in C. vermifera, aspecies with a wide geographical distribution(Mediterranean Sea, Atlamic and Indo-PacificOcean), which shows a spicular pattern very closeto C. spissaspira (Hancock 1867; Riitzler 1974). Inparticular, in C. vermifera, spirasters are constantlysmooth and undulated and measure trom 16 to77 /lIIl in 1ength x 1-5 11m in thickness. Themegascleres are constituted by tylostyles, longer(133-445/lIIl) and thicker (3-9I1m) than in C.spissaspira. Smooth microscleres also occur in C.parenzani, where they coexist with spinulated ones,very similar in shape and size, thus supporting thehypothesis of a common origin of these spicules.This pattern clearly results trom the SEM images ofthe microscleres of C. parenzani, showing spinulatedand smooth spirasters together with transitionalforms with strongly reduced spines (Corriera &Scalera Liaci 1997, figure 4, p.73). Therefore, inagreemem with Riitzler (2002), the lack of spines onthe microscleres of these sponges may be consideredas a minor modification, and does not justify theerection of the separate genus Bernatia proposed byRosell & Uriz (1997).

Acknowledgements

This paper was financially supported by the ItalianMinistero dell'Università e della Ricerca Scientifica eTecnologica funds (ex MURST 60%). All theexperimems complied with the currem Italian laws.We appreciate the constructive criticism of thereviewers that helped to improve the paper.

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