Abstract
A new pedunculate aplysinid sponge, Aplysina chiriquiensis, is described from shallow waters (1.5–35 m) in the Gulf of Chiriquí, western Panamá, Eastern Pacific. The species chiriquiensis is a common component of coral reefs and soft coral reefs in that region. After examining the systematic status of related taxa we conclude that there are only two valid taxa of stalked Aplysina, A. bathyphila Maldonado and Young from the Caribbean, and our new species from the eastern Pacific. A. chiriquiens is a yellow to purplish, stalked and branching sponge with oscules arranged in one or more rows along the branches. The branches can be cylindrical with smooth tapering ends, or stubby and laterally compressed. A. chiriquiensis is the first Aplysina species described from Panamá, and its distribution elsewhere in tropical and subtropical Eastern Pacific has yet to be evaluated.References
Alcolado, P. (1984) Nuevas especies de esponjas encontradas en Cuba. Poeyana, 271, 1–22.
Bergquist, P.R. & Cook, S. de C. (2002) Family Aplysinidae, Carter, 1875. In: J.Hooper & R.W.M. Van Soest (eds.), Systema Poriferaóa guide to the classification of sponges, , Plenum publishers, 1, 1082–1083.
Carter, H. (1881) Contributions to our knowledge of the Spongida. Order II. Ceratina. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 5, 101–112.
Ciminiello, P., Fattorusso, E. Forino, M., Magno, S. and Pansini, M. 1997. Chemistry of Verongida sponges. 8. Bromocompounds from the Mediterranean sponges. Aplysina aereophoba and Aplysina cavernicola. Tetrahedron 53, 6565–6572.
Desqueyroux-Faúndez, R. & van Soest, R.W.M. (1997) Shallow waters Demosponges of the Galápagos Islands. Revue Suisse de Zoologie, 104 (2), 379–467.
Gómez, P. & Bakus, G. (1992) Aplysina gerardogreeni and Aplysina aztecus (Porifera: Demospongiae) new species from the Mexican Pacific. Anales del Instituto de Cienias del Mar y Limnología. Universidad Autónoma de México, 19 (2), 175–180.
Green, G. (1977) Sinópsis taxonómica de trece especies de esponjas del arrecife La Blanquilla, Veracruz, México. Anales del Centro de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mejico. 4(1), 79–98.
Hechtel, G.J. (1983) New species of Marine Demospongiae from Brazil. Iheringia, Serie Zoologica, 63, 59–89.
Laubenfels, M.W. de (1930) The sponges of California. Stanford University Bulletin, 5 (4), 24–29.
Laubenfels, M.W. de (1932) The marine and freshwater sponges of California. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 81, 1–140.
Laubenfels, M.W. de (1948) The order Keratosa of the phylum Porifera. A monographic study. Allan Hancock Foundation Publications (occasional paper), 3, 1–217.
Lévi, C. (1969) Spongiaires du Vema Seamount (Atlantique Sud). Bulletin of Museum Natural and historia Natural, 41(2), 972–973.
Maldonado , M. & Young, C.M. (1998) Re-evaluation of stalked aplysinid sponges, with description of a new species from the upper Bahamian slope. Bulletin of Marine Science, 63(2), 417–426.
Pinheiro, U. dos S. & Hajdu, E (2001) Shallow water Aplysina Nardo (Aplysinidae, Verongida, Demospongiae) from the Sao Sebastiao Channel and its environs (Tropical southwestern Atlantic), with the description of a new species and a literature review of other Brazilian records of the genus. Revista Brasileira de Zoologia. 18 (supl.1), 143–160.
Rützler, K. (1978) Sponges in coral reefs. In: Stoodart, D.R. & Johannes, R.R. (Eds.), Coral Reefs: Research Methods. Monographs on Oceanographic Methodology, (5). UNESCO, Paris, pp. 299–313
Soest, R.W.M. van (1978) Marine sponges from Curaçao and other Caribbean localities. Part I. Keratosa. Studies of the Fauna of Curaçao and Other Caribbean Islands, 56(179), 1–94.
Soest, R.W.M. van & Braekman J.C. 1999. Chemosystematics of Porifera: a review. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, 44, 569–589.
Vacelet, J. (1959) Repatition générale de éponges corneés de la region de Marseille et de quelques stations Mediterranéennes. Recueil de Travaux de la Station Marine d’ Endoume, 26 (16), 39–101.
Wiedenmayer, F. (1977) Shallow-water sponges of the western Bahamas. Basel, Birkhäuser Verlag, 287 pp.
Zea, S. (1987) Esponjas del Caribe Colombiano. Editorial Catálogo Científico, Bogotá, 286 pp.
Alcolado, P. (1984) Nuevas especies de esponjas encontradas en Cuba. Poeyana, 271, 1–22.
Bergquist, P.R. & Cook, S. de C. (2002) Family Aplysinidae, Carter, 1875. In: J.Hooper & R.W.M. Van Soest (eds.), Systema Poriferaóa guide to the classification of sponges, , Plenum publishers, 1, 1082–1083.
Carter, H. (1881) Contributions to our knowledge of the Spongida. Order II. Ceratina. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, series 5, 101–112.
Ciminiello, P., Fattorusso, E. Forino, M., Magno, S. and Pansini, M. 1997. Chemistry of Verongida sponges. 8. Bromocompounds from the Mediterranean sponges. Aplysina aereophoba and Aplysina cavernicola. Tetrahedron 53, 6565–6572.
Desqueyroux-Faúndez, R. & van Soest, R.W.M. (1997) Shallow waters Demosponges of the Galápagos Islands. Revue Suisse de Zoologie, 104 (2), 379–467.
Gómez, P. & Bakus, G. (1992) Aplysina gerardogreeni and Aplysina aztecus (Porifera: Demospongiae) new species from the Mexican Pacific. Anales del Instituto de Cienias del Mar y Limnología. Universidad Autónoma de México, 19 (2), 175–180.
Green, G. (1977) Sinópsis taxonómica de trece especies de esponjas del arrecife La Blanquilla, Veracruz, México. Anales del Centro de Ciencias del Mar y Limnología de la Universidad Nacional Autónoma de Mejico. 4(1), 79–98.
Hechtel, G.J. (1983) New species of Marine Demospongiae from Brazil. Iheringia, Serie Zoologica, 63, 59–89.
Laubenfels, M.W. de (1930) The sponges of California. Stanford University Bulletin, 5 (4), 24–29.
Laubenfels, M.W. de (1932) The marine and freshwater sponges of California. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 81, 1–140.
Laubenfels, M.W. de (1948) The order Keratosa of the phylum Porifera. A monographic study. Allan Hancock Foundation Publications (occasional paper), 3, 1–217.
Lévi, C. (1969) Spongiaires du Vema Seamount (Atlantique Sud). Bulletin of Museum Natural and historia Natural, 41(2), 972–973.
Maldonado , M. & Young, C.M. (1998) Re-evaluation of stalked aplysinid sponges, with description of a new species from the upper Bahamian slope. Bulletin of Marine Science, 63(2), 417–426.
Pinheiro, U. dos S. & Hajdu, E (2001) Shallow water Aplysina Nardo (Aplysinidae, Verongida, Demospongiae) from the Sao Sebastiao Channel and its environs (Tropical southwestern Atlantic), with the description of a new species and a literature review of other Brazilian records of the genus. Revista Brasileira de Zoologia. 18 (supl.1), 143–160.
Rützler, K. (1978) Sponges in coral reefs. In: Stoodart, D.R. & Johannes, R.R. (Eds.), Coral Reefs: Research Methods. Monographs on Oceanographic Methodology, (5). UNESCO, Paris, pp. 299–313
Soest, R.W.M. van (1978) Marine sponges from Curaçao and other Caribbean localities. Part I. Keratosa. Studies of the Fauna of Curaçao and Other Caribbean Islands, 56(179), 1–94.
Soest, R.W.M. van & Braekman J.C. 1999. Chemosystematics of Porifera: a review. Memoirs of the Queensland Museum, 44, 569–589.
Vacelet, J. (1959) Repatition générale de éponges corneés de la region de Marseille et de quelques stations Mediterranéennes. Recueil de Travaux de la Station Marine d’ Endoume, 26 (16), 39–101.
Wiedenmayer, F. (1977) Shallow-water sponges of the western Bahamas. Basel, Birkhäuser Verlag, 287 pp.
Zea, S. (1987) Esponjas del Caribe Colombiano. Editorial Catálogo Científico, Bogotá, 286 pp.