[Cnidaria • 2018] Tempuractis rinkai • First Detailed Record of Symbiosis Between a Sea Anemone (Anthozoa: Actiniaria: Edwardsiidae) and Homoscleromorph Sponge

Tempuractis rinkai  Izumi, Ise & Yanagi, 2018

in Izumi, Ise, Yanagi, Shibata & Ueshima, 2018.  

 DOI:  10.2108/zs170042 

s.u-tokyo.ac.jp

Abstract

A new species in a new genus of sea anemone, Tempuractis rinkai gen. et sp. nov., was discovered at several localities along the temperate rocky shores of Japan. The new species is approximately 4 mm in length and has been assigned to family Edwardsiidae, because it has eight macrocnemes, lacks sphincter and basal muscles, and possesses rounded aboral end. The sea anemone, however, also has a peculiar body shape unlike that of any other known taxa. This new species resembles some genera, especially Drillactis and Nematostella, in smooth column surface without nemathybomes or tenaculi, but is distinguishable from them by several morphological features: the presence of holotrichs and absence of nematosomes. Furthermore, this edwardsiid species exhibits a peculiar symbiotic ecology with sponges. Therefore, a new genus, Tempuractis, is proposed for this species. In the field, T. rinkai sp. nov. was always found living inside homosclerophorid sponge of the genus Oscarella, which suggests a possible obligate symbiosis between Porifera and Actiniaria. The benefit of this symbiosis is discussed on the basis of observations of live specimens, both in the aquarium and field. This is the first report of symbiosis between a sea anemone and a homoscleromorph sponge.

KEYWORDS: Japan; edwardsiid; intertidal; marine invertebrates; overhang; species description; symbiotic relationship; taxonomy; transmission electron microscopy (TEM)

External view of Tempuractis rinkai gen. et sp. nov. and its host sponge Oscarella sp. collected from Misaki, Kanagawa,
including a holotype (NSMT-Co 1573) and four paratypes (CMNH-ZG 08969 to 08972).

RESULTS 

Order ACTINIARIA Hertwig, 1882 

Family Edwardsiidae Andres, 1881 

Tempuractis gen. nov. 

Izumi, Ise and Yanagi

(Japanese name: tempura-isoginchaku-zoku)

Etymology. Tempura is a deep-fried, batter-coated nugget of seafood and/or vegetables in Japanese cuisine. This word comprises the first half of the Japanese name of the type species of this genus, as the shape of the actiniarian when embedded in a sponge tissue resembles shrimp tempura. The siffix -actis is commonly used in actiniarian genus names, meaning radiation of sunshine in Greek. The new genus name is feminine in gender.

Tempuractis rinkai sp. nov. 

Izumi, Ise and Yanagi, 2018

(New Japanese name: tempura-isoginchaku)

Etymology. The species epithet is dedicated to marine biological stations around Japan. The first specimens of this species were collected from a rocky shore in front of the Misaki Marine Biological Station (the University of Tokyo). This station is called “Misaki rinkai jikkenjo” in Japanese (“rinkai” means seaside and “jikkennjo” means research facility). Other specimens were collected during a subsequent faunistic survey in collaboration with other marine biological stations: Sugashima Marine Biological Laboratory (Nagoya University) and Sado Marine Biological Station (Niigata University).

図１．今回の記載に用いられたテンプライソギンチャクTempuractis rinkai gen. et sp. nov.（三崎新井浜海岸産）。 a：ノリカイメン科の1種Oscarella sp.（中央のベージュ色のかたまり。全体で1個体）の中に群生している本種。生時は、触手のみをカイメンから出している。 b：テンプライソギンチャク1個体が、カイメンの鞘状構造の中に棲息している。刺激を与えないように観察すると、図の矢印が示す通り徐々に触手を出す

Takato Izumi, Yuji Ise, Kensuke Yanagi, Daisuke Shibata and Rei Ueshima. 2018. First Detailed Record of Symbiosis Between a Sea Anemone and Homoscleromorph Sponge, With a Description of Tempuractis rinkai gen. et sp. nov. (Cnidaria: Anthozoa: Actiniaria: Edwardsiidae). Zoological Science. 35(2); 188-198. DOI:  10.2108/zs170042

カイメンと共生する新属新種のイソギンチャク - 東京大学 大学院理学系研究科・理学部 s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/ja/info/5826/

   

[Herpetology • 2014] Leptolalax marmoratus • A New Species of Leptolalax (Anura: Megophryidae) from Sarawak, western Borneo

A new megophryid species is described from southwestern Sarawak, Malaysian Borneo. In appearance, Leptolalax marmoratus sp. nov. is most similar to L. hamidi also from southwestern Sarawak, but differs from it by mtDNA sequence, larger body size, and higher dominant frequency of advertisement call. The assumption that more than one species of Leptolalax coexist at one locality in Borneo is supported. The finding of the new species raises the species number of Leptolalax known from Borneo to nine, and the island is thought to be one of the diversification centers of the genus.

Keywords: acoustics, Borneo, Leptolalax , new species, Southeast Asia, molecular phylogeny

   

Masafumi Matsui, Ramlah Zainudin and Kanto Nishikwa. 2014. A New Species of Leptolalax from Sarawak, western Borneo (Anura: Megophryidae).  ZOOLOGICAL SCIENCE. 31(11):773-779. DOI: 10.2108/zs140137

researchgate.net/publication/267763947_A_new_species_of_Leptolalax_from_Sarawak_western_Borneo_(Anura_Megophryidae)

facebook.com/HerpAsia/photos./294447294084568

[Herpetology • 2015] Gracixalus seesom | ปาดแคระสีส้ม • A New Tree Frog of the Genus Gracixalus (Amphibia: Rhacophoridae) from western Thailand

Gracixalus seesom
 Matsui, Khonsue, Panha & Eto, 2015

DOI: 10.2108/zs140238

 Abstract

We report a new tree frog of the genus Gracixalus from western Thailand and describe it as a new species Gracixalus seesom based on results of morphological and molecular analyses. The new species is a small-sized Gracixalus (male snout-vent length ca. 22 mm) and is morphologically similar to G. gracilipes, but is easily distinguished from it by its dorsal tan color in life, absence of white spot on lower lip, and black markings on its foot webbing. The new species also clearly differs from all the other members of the genus by the combination of small body size, triangular snout, and light yellowish brown dorsum without distinct tuberculations. Problems of phylogeny and taxonomy of the genus Gracixalus are briefly discussed.

Keywords: Gracixalus seesom, mitochondrial phylogeny, Southeast Asia, systematics, taxonomy

Masafumi Matsui, Wichase Khonsue, Somsak Panha and Koshiro Eto. 2015. A New Tree Frog of the Genus Gracixalus from Thailand (Amphibia: Rhacophoridae). Zoological Science. 32(2):204-210.  

DOI: 10.2108/zs140238

[Mammalogy • 2008] Rhinolophus huananus • A new horseshoe bat (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) from southeastern China

A new species of the Rhinolophus philippinensis group (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae) is described from Guangdong, Guangxi, and Jiangxi Provinces in China. Rhinolophus huananus n. sp. is characterized by the horseshoe, as well as by external and cranial characteristics that separate it at the species level from the other members of the philippinensis group. One of the small species of the philippinensis group, R. huananus is intermediate in size between smaller R. siamensis and larger R. macrotis.

Key words: Chiroptera, Rhinolophidae, Rhinolophus, taxonomy, new species, China

Etymology: The new species is named after the institute to which the first author belongs, the Institute of Biodiversity in Huanan (=China south), Guangzhou University.

Rhinolophus huananus likely inhabits forests and has been recorded from Guangdong, Guangxi, and Jiangxi Provinces (this study). These areas correspond to part of the Indochinese and southern Chinese divisions of the Indomalayan region, following the mammalian zoogeographical

subdivisions of Corbet and Hill (1992). In China, both R. huananus and R. m. caldwelli were collected in a narrow range from Yingde City, Guangdong Province (in caves about 10 km apart). These collection data strongly suggest the sympatry of R. huananus and R. m. caldwelli in southern China, although we did not get samples of both species from a single cave. Possible sympatry between R. huananus and R. macrotis may offer additional evidence to support the valid specific status of both species. In that area, R. huananus is clearly distinct from R. macrotis in external and cranial characters as well as baculum morphology. Differences in baculum morphology may strongly suggest the occurrence of reproductive isolation between R. huananus and R. macrotis. Future studies to clarify the detailed distribution of R. huananus and R. macrotis in China and adjacent countries are necessary to explore the evolutionary history of the philippinensis group bats in the southern part of China.

Wu, Yi, Motokawa, M. and Harada, M. 2008. A New Species of Horseshoe Bat of the Genus Rhinolophus from China (Chiroptera: Rhinolophidae).  
Zoological Science. 25(4); 438-443.  DOI: 10.2108/zsj.25.438