Cliona minuscula, sp. nov. (hadromerida: clionaidae) and other bioeroding sponges that only contain tylostyles

Abstract

A new bioeroding sponge belonging to the genus Cliona is described from the Australian Great Barrier Reef, Cliona minuscula, sp. nov. As the sponge lacked microscleres, comparison with existing clionaid species was difficult. We considered 15 other species of Cliona with only tylostyles: C. alderi, C. arenosa. C. caesia nov. comb., C. californiana, C. celata, C. delitrix, C. dissimilis, C. ecaudis, C. insidiosa, C. janitrix, C. kempi, C. laticavicola, C. macgeachii, C. millepunctata and C. peponaca. Characters of all species are presented in table-form to facilitate comparison during future studies. We listed additional species of Cliona that were not directly compared to the new species, because they were either invalid, insufficiently described, or they may not be obligate bioeroders. The form and dimensions of the megascleres of C. minuscula, sp. nov. indicated that it is distinct from all considered species. Its mean tylostyle dimensions were 225.3 μm length, 4.5 μm shaft width and 6.8 μm tyle width, which is comparatively small. Because other morphological features were small as well (erosion chambers, papular diameter), this species was named C. minuscula. The species record for sponges of the genus Cliona reported from Australia is now 11. Copyright © 2006 Magnolia Press.