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| Myxilla (Myxilla) austini
Ott, Reiswig, et al., 2019.
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Abstract
Collections of sponges by the late Dr. William C. Austin and the authors (N. McDaniel, R. Harbo and B. Ott) provided material for descriptions of new species from two genera of Poecilosclerida for shallow waters of Southern British Columbia, Canada and Northern Washington, USA: Lissodendoryx and Myxilla. There have been no new species of these two genera described for the Northeast Pacific since Laubenfels’ work in central California (Laubenfels 1930, 1932) and Lambe’s reports in 1893 to 1895 for Geological Survey of Canada sponge collections from British Columbia, Canada to the Bering Sea. We describe three new species of Lissodendoryx (Lissodendoryx) (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida, Coelosphaeridae) and one new species of Myxilla (Myxilla) (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida, Myxillidae): L. (L.) barkleyensis n. sp., L. (L.) littoralis n. sp., L. (L.) toxaraphida n. sp. and M. (M.) austini n. sp. Lissodendoryx (L.) barkleyensis n. sp. is cave-dwelling, has acanthostyles 112–260 µm, tornotes 107–177 µm, arcuate isochelas 8–28 µm and two sizes of sigmas 18–29, 26–55 µm. Lissodendoryx (L.) littoralis n. sp. fistulate habitus is adapted to muddy substrates similar to some Polymastia species also found commonly in the Northeast Pacific. It has subtylostyles 185–336 µm, tylotes 112–229 µm, arcuate isochelas 11–23 µm, and sigmas 30–75 µm. Lissodendoryx (L.) toxaraphida n. sp. is the only described Lissodendoryx species with raphides shaped like toxas. It has acanthostyles 140–286 µm, tornotes 143–195µm, arcuate isochelas 18–34 µm and toxiform raphides 65–156 µm. Myxilla (M.) austini n. sp. has a fistulate habitus and both tornote and tylote megascleres. It appears to be tolerant of low oxygen environments. Myxilla (M.) austini n. sp. has smooth to sparsely spined styles 193–353 µm, tylotes 153–221 µm, tornotes 174–260 µm, two sizes of anchorate isochelas 13–27, 42–81 µm, and two sizes of sigmas 13–47, 33–78 µm. All specimens were collected from shallow water (intertidal to 25 m).
Keywords: Porifera, biodiversity, morphology, Northern Washington, Porifera, shallow water, Southern British Columbia, taxonomy
Class Demospongiae Sollas, 1885
Order Poecilosclerida Topsent, 1928
Family Coelosphaeridae Dendy, 1922
Genus Lissodendoryx Topsent, 1892
Subgenus Lissodendoryx (Lissodendoryx) Topsent, 1892
Lissodendoryx (Lissodendoryx) barkleyensis n. sp.
Etymology. The sponge is named after the location, Barkley Sound, BC.
Lissodendoryx (Lissodendoryx) littoralis n. sp.
Etymology. The species name derives from the intertidal habitat of the sponge.
Lissodendoryx (Lissodendoryx) toxaraphida n. sp.
Etymology. The species name refers to the presence of toxa-shaped raphides.
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| Myxilla (Myxilla) austini n. sp. The holotype in situ. |
Family Myxillidae Dendy, 1922
Genus Myxilla Schmidt, 1862
Subgenus Myxilla Schmidt, 1862,
sensu Desqueyroux-Faúndez & Van Soest, 1996
Myxilla (Myxilla) austini n. sp.
Etymology. The sponge is named in honour of the late Dr. William C. Austin. Bill was a highly regarded marine biologist, environmentalist and educator who studied and documented marine life of the Pacific Coast of North America for close to 60 years.
B. Ott, H. M. Reiswig, N. McDaniel and R. Harbo. 2019. New Species of Lissodendoryx Topsent, 1892 (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida, Coelosphaeridae) and Myxilla Schmidt, 1862 (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida, Myxillidae) from the Northeast Pacific. Zootaxa. 4700(1); 1–29. DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4700.1.1
