WoRMS source details
Díaz, C.M.; Zea, S. (2014). First record of the Indo-Pacific sponge genus Rhaphidhistia (Demospongiae, Hadromerida, Trachycladidae) from the Caribbean Sea, with description of a new species. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. 94 (02): 255-259.
169600
10.1017/s0025315413000970 [view]
Díaz, C.M.; Zea, S.
2014
First record of the Indo-Pacific sponge genus <i>Rhaphidhistia</i> (Demospongiae, Hadromerida, Trachycladidae) from the Caribbean Sea, with description of a new species
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom
94 (02): 255-259
Publication
Available for editors [request]
Exploration of continental shelves may produce unexpected faunal records. In shelf waters of La Guajira peninsula, Colombia, in the northern tip of South America, southern Caribbean Sea, we found a new species of Rhaphidhistia (Demospongiae, Hadromerida, Trachycladidae) a genus previously thought to be restricted to the Indo-Pacific Ocean. Rhaphidhistia guajiraensis sp. nov. is thickly encrusting, agglutinating bottom debris; it possesses asymmetric oxea as megascleres (465–757mm by 6.3–17.5 mm) and spiraster-like spinispirae (15–37 mm by 2–5 mm). It is closely similar to the type species of the genus, R. spectabilis Carter, 1879, both standing apart from a third species, R. mirabilis (Dendy, 1924), thus conforming a natural group whose taxonomic placement needs to be reassessed. There are numerous cases of sponge genera with sister species in the Indo-Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans, possibly split since the Tethys Sea breakup; owing to their restricted or deep distribution, they are just starting to be discovered.
Caribbean region
Systematics, Taxonomy
Date
action
by
Rhaphidhistia Carter, 1879 (additional source)
Rhaphidhistia guajiraensis Díaz & Zea, 2014 (original description)
Rhaphidhistia guajiraensis Díaz & Zea, 2014 (original description)
Southern Caribbean for Rhaphidhistia guajiraensis Díaz & Zea, 2014
Holotype INVEMAR INV-POR 1147, geounit Southern Caribbean, identified as Rhaphidhistia guajiraensis Díaz & Zea, 2014