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| Umimayanthus cf. aruensis (Pax, 1911) in Montenegro, Fromont, Richards, Kise, Gomez, Hoeksema et Reimer, 2024. |
Abstract
The zoantharian genus Umimayanthus consists largely of species that live in obligate symbioses with sponges. Although zoantharians have often been overlooked in field collecting campaigns and in research, sponges are usually well-collected, and many natural history museums harbor numerous sponge specimens. Thus, these sponge collections may also include previously overlooked zoantharian species. Such is the case in this research, in which we examined sponge specimens in museum collections from Western Australia and eastern Indonesia. Based on our morphological and molecular analyses, we herein describe six species of Umimayanthus new to science, and redescribe another species described over a century ago. These species can be distinguished by their sponge associations, gross polyp and colony morphology, and depth ranges. Based on these findings, it appears that the Central Indo-Pacific region of Western Australia and Indonesia can be considered a hotspot for sponge-associated zoantharian diversity. We provide a key for the identification of all formally described species in the genus, but caution that there are likely more Umimayanthus species awaiting discovery.
Keywords: Anthozoa; biodiversity; coral reefs; Porifera; species descriptions
Phylum Cnidaria Hatschek, 1888
Subphylum Anthozoa Ehrenberg, 1831
Class Hexacorallia Haeckel, 1896
Order Zoantharia Rafinesque, 1815
Family Parazoanthidae Delage & Hérouard, 1901
Genus Umimayanthus Montenegro, Sinniger and Reimer 2015
Umimayanthus mirnangga sp. nov. Montenegro, Kise & Reimer
Etymology. The specific epithet “mirnangga” is derived from the phoneme used to refer to a young single woman in the Wunambal language. This in reference to the fact that the colonies of U. mirnangga sp. nov. are exclusively composed of solitary polyps. “mɨrnangga binya” n., B-class young woman. Syn: munangga. See Bengmoro et al. (1971) and Boona (2022).
Umimayanthus jebarra sp. nov. Montenegro, Kise & Reimer
Etymology. The specific epithet “jebarra” is derived from the phoneme used to refer to the emu in Wunambal language. This in reference to the elongated shape of the polyps in U. jebarra sp. nov., which resemble the neck of an emu. As well, the name can act as a memorial to all the emus killed during the Great Emu Wars of 1932 in Western Australia. “jebarra anya” n., A-class. emu. Dromaius novaehollandiae. Syn: garnanganyja; jeebarra. See Mangglamarra (1991) and Karadada et al. (2011).
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| Umimayanthus wunanggu sp. nov. |
Umimayanthus wunanggu sp. nov. Montenegro, Kise & Reimer
Etymology. The specific epithet “wunanggu” is derived from the phoneme used to refer to the hill white gum tree in Wunambal language. This in reference to U. wunanggu sp. nov. forming colonies of white polyps connected by a thin coenenchyma that extends on a linear branching pattern over the sponge surface. “wunanggu winya” n., W-class. /wunaŋgu/. hill white gum, tropical red box, Eucalyptus brachyandra von Mueller, 1859. See Capell (1941) and Karadada (2011).
Umimayanthus discolor sp. nov. Montenegro, Kise & Reimer
Etymology. The specific epithet “discolor” means multiple colors in Latin. This is in reference to U. discolor sp. nov. forming colonies of polyps with contrasting colorations between the oral disk and the column, stolon, and coenenchyma.
Umimayanthus lynherensis sp. nov. Montenegro, Kise & Reimer
Etymology. The specific epithet “lynherensis” is derived from the locality where the type specimen was collected, the Lynher Bank sea country north Kimberley, Western Australia, Australia.
Etymology. The specific epithet “raksasa”, which means “giant” or “gigantic” in Indonesian, refers to the large size of the polyps of this species in comparison to the other members of its genus.
Javier Montenegro, Jane Fromont, Zoe Richards, Hiroki Kise, Oliver Gomez, Bert W. Hoeksema and James Davis Reimer. 2024. Museum Collections as Untapped Sources of Undescribed Diversity of Sponge-zoantharian Associations with the Description of Six New Species of Umimayanthus (Zoantharia: Parazoanthidae) from Western Australia and eastern Indonesia. Contributions to Zoology. DOI: doi.org/10.1163/18759866-bja10069
