Bulletin 20 - Peabody Museum of Natural History - Yale University

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4 A SYSTEMATIC STUDY OF THE DEMOSPONGIAE OF JAMAICA Habitat I—Deeper water near the cays: Sponges were common on coral masses and gorgonian colonies in 10-15 feet of water. Most specimens were collected in an area between Lime Cay (17° 55' N. Lat., 76° 49' W. Long) and Maiden Cay. Habitat J—Offshore turtle grass beds: Several areas of sand and turtle grass were located near Port Royal. Study was concentrated on a small patch in several feet of water on the leeward side of Drunkenman's Cay. PREVIOUS JAMAICAN RECORDS Twelve published reports of Jamaican sponges, referring to ten species, have been noted in the course of the present study. The earliest record is that of Higgin (1877). His Halichondria birotulata (transferred to Iotrochota by Ridley, 1884) was described from Venezuela, the Bahamas, and Kingston Bay, Jamaica. De Laubenfels (1932a, p. 40) examined Jamaican specimens (those of Higgin?) in the British Museum (Natural History) collections. The species is abundant at Port Royal. Suberites angulospiculatus was described from Jamaica by Carter (1879a, p. 346). Its peculiar spicules are somewhat similar in form to those of Plakortis, but are much larger. De Laubenfels (1936a, p. 162) attributed Dry Tortugas specimens to Carter's species, which he transferred to Epipolasis. De Laubenfels' sponges, with oxeas and strongyloxeas, are not even congeneric with Suberites angulospiculatus. Carter's species was not found in the present study, and its taxonomic position remains obscure. Suberites coronarius Carter (1882, p. 352) was described from Honduras, the Bahamas, and Jamaica. The species was transferred to Anthosigmella by Topsent (1918, p. 557) and placed into synonymy with A. varians by de Laubenfels (1936a, p. 13). Several specimens were collected in the present study. Spinosella maxima Dendy (1887d, p. 506; 1890, p. 365) was described from Nassau in the Bahamas. A Jamaican variety was characterized by the presence of vestigial spicules. Dendy's species, with its variety, is almost certainly conspecific with Callyspongia plicvfera, which is common near the Kingston Cays. Lendenfeld included three Jamaican records in his 1889 monograph of the Keratosa. The specimen attributed to Hircinia variabilis Schmidt was probably an example of Ircinia fasciculata. His record of Aplysina flagelliformis Carter (1886) probably refers to Verongia longissima. Both species occur at Port Royal. His Aplysina spengelii, reported from Jamaica and Ceylon, is probably a synonym of Verongia lacunosa, as suggested by Topsent (1932). It was not found at Port Royal. Spirastrella andrewsii George and Wilson (1919, p. 135) was described from North Carolina and Jamaica. De Laubenfels (1932b, p. 50) has shown that the species is conspecific with Spheciospongia vesparia. A specimen was collected in the present survey. Uliczka (1929, p. 38) described Cinachyra rhizophyta from Kingston, Jamaica. No further specimens have been found. Geodia media Bowerbank was reported by Uliczka (1929, p. 38) from Barbados, Tortugas, and Kingston. G. media is a probable synonym of the common Geodia gibberosa. CLASSIFICATION The classification of de Laubenfels (1936a) has been adopted in large part. It requires considerable revision but remains the most complete and widely-used system. Several alterations do seem necessary, however. The keratose sponges
SYSTEMATICS 5 are divided into the suborders Dictyoceratina and Dendroceratina of Minchin (1900). The Adociidae are transferred to the order Haplosclerida, as discussed in the systematic section. The family Mycalidae Lundbeck (1905) is used in place of the similarly defined family Amphilectidae of de Laubenfels. The order Homosclerophorida, reconstituted by Levi (1953, 1956b), has been utilized in preference to de Laubenfels* treatment. TAXONOMIC CRITERIA In de Laubenfels* classification, genera are usually based on spicule complement or fiber composition. Species are characterized by their shape, color, consistency, spicule size ranges and details of architecture. Burton (1932, p. 377) has questioned the taxonomic value of microscleres, even on a species level. In the present study only two species were found to vary in spicule complement. The first, Sigmadocia caerulea, is a new species established for blue, sigma-rich, inshore sponges. Blue, algae-infested cay sponges with extremely rare sigmas are only provisionally considered to be conspecific with it. Gelliodes areolata provides a case of variation in the presence of microscleres between specimens which are certainly conspecific. It seems probable that most sponge species have a stable spicule complement. Spicule size ranges, considered as variable by Burton, have been relatively consistent within a species in my experience. The field characteristics of color and consistency have been invaluable in the recognition of species. The color is unfortunately lost from almost all species after preservation. The consistency of preserved sponges is usually not unlike that of the living ones. The uniformity of coloration in a large majority of species is very striking. The observed specimens of common species such as Haliclona rub ens, Iotrochota birotulata and Tedania ignis did not differ appreciably in color. The intensity of coloration does vary in many species. Algae occasionally impart a greenish tinge to a sponge. Terpios zeteki does exhibit a wide range of colors, however, but can be recognized by its characteristic shape and consistency. Levi (1952, p. 37) has also emphasized the taxonomic value of color in tropical sponges. Sponges have often been described as extremely plastic in form, (cf., for example, Bowerbank, 1866, p. 212). Burton (1932, p. 376) and Wells et al. (1960, p. 202) have noted that most species do have a characteristic shape or range of shapes. The shape can, however, be described only in general terms, such as incrusting, massive and ramose. An occasional sponge may depart from the normal. A single massive example of the usually ramose Iotrochota birotulata and a single semi-ramose example of the incrusting Microciona microchela were found. SYSTEMATICA A nomenclatorial summary is included with the description of each previously described species. The localities of collection are included within the summaries. The zoogeographical range of each species is presented under the heading of distribution, using the terminology of Ekman (1953). The term spicule category refers to spicules having the same morphological form, such as sigmas. In spicule analyses, the number of measured spicules is indicated in parentheses after the range. The spicule ranges of holotypes are starred (*). Fifty-four species are discussed in the present report. One species cannot be completely classified at this time. Of the remaining 53, 16 are new. One new
Page 1 and 2: PEABODY MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY Y
Page 3 and 4: A SYSTEMATIC STUDY OF THE DEMOSPONG
Page 5 and 6: LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS ABSTRACT INTR
Page 7 and 8: YALE UNIVERSITY PEABODY MUSEUM OF N
Page 9: INTRODUCTION 3 of washing, centrifu
Page 13 and 14: ORDER POECILOSCLERIDA FAMILY TEDANI
Page 15 and 16: SYSTEMATICS 9 in diameter; the mesh
Page 17 and 18: SYSTEMATICS 11 and interior contain
Page 19 and 20: SYSTEMATICS 13 DISCUSSION. Verongia
Page 21 and 22: SYSTEMATICS 15 idem, 1897, p. 482;
Page 23 and 24: SYSTEMATICS 17 plateaux. The result
Page 25 and 26: SYSTEMATICS 19 Haliclona rubens, de
Page 27 and 28: SYSTEMATICS 21 HOLOTYPE. YPM 5033.
Page 29 and 30: SYSTEMATICS 23 Fibulia to be a dire
Page 31 and 32: SYSTEMATICS 25 from the Bahamas was
Page 33 and 34: SYSTEMATICS 27 Individual analyses,
Page 35 and 36: SYSTEMATICS 29 as 10-12 spicules. T
Page 37 and 38: SYSTEMATICS 31 mental forms are com
Page 39 and 40: SYSTEMATICS 33 Tuba sororia Duchass
Page 41 and 42: SYSTEMATICS 35 SPICULES. Strongyles
Page 43 and 44: SYSTEMATICS 37 DISCUSSION. The most
Page 45 and 46: SYSTEMATICS 39 Lissodendoryx caroli
Page 47 and 48: n i SYSTEMATICS 41 FAMILY MICROCION
Page 49 and 50: SYSTEMATICS 43 SPICULES. The subtyl
Page 51 and 52: SYSTEMATICS 45 spongin. Many echina
Page 53 and 54: SYSTEMATICS 47 27-102 X 2 /i. Many
Page 55 and 56: SYSTEMATICS 49 SHAPE. The sponge ha
Page 57 and 58: SYSTEMATICS 51 that the toxas menti
Page 59 and 60: SYSTEMATIGS 58 Halichondria magnico
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SYSTEMATICS 55 p. 55; Gulf of Campe
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SYSTEMATIGS 57 of the presence of m
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SYSTEMATICS 59 COLOR. The sponge is
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SYSTEMATICS 61 range is extensive.
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SYSTEMATICS 63 much as 1 mm in life
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SYSTEMATICS 65 ORDER EPIPOLASIDA So
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SYSTEMATICS 67 HABITAT. The single
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SYSTEMATICS 69 137; de Laubenfels,
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SYSTEMATICS 71 Sollas (1888) used C
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SYSTEMATICS 73 Fig. 14.—Spicules
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SYSTEMATICS 75 HABITAT. Common on p
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DISTRIBUTION BY HABITAT 77 GENUS CO
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DISTRIBUTION BY HABITAT 79 gibberos
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FIELD KEY 81 3—Tough; with skin-l
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ZOOGEOGRAPHICAL NOTES 83 3—Not sp
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LITERATURE CITED 85 Halichondria ma
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LITERATURE CITED 87 Ekman, Sven, 19
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LITERATURE CITED 89 Wells, H. W., W
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conulosa, Thalyseurypon, vi, 1, 7,
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pectinicola, Mycale, 48, 50-51 Pell
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PLATES
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4* i « t * ••v. •:jj£5^ •
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PLATE III Fig. 1. PelUna coeliformi
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PLATE IV Fig. 1. Callyspongia plici
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->-" .*^-^; .'-fcL •"i-S; - "- i-
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PLATE ¥1 Fig. 1. Thalyseurypon con
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-^Kjm .#y • . •*&' $•$. -'J3T
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PLATE VIII Fig. 1. Geodia papyracea
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Bulletin 20 - Peabody Museum of Natural History - Yale University

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