A Collection of Porifera from Northern New Zealand, with Descriptions of Seventeen New Species PATRICIA R. BERGQUIST! THE MATERIAL DESCRIBED HEREIN has been erer, few in number, and indiscriminately scat­ collected by the author during the course of in­ tered. The texture when dried is hard and the vestigations into the intertidal and sublittoral colour blackish-brown. The texture when fresh ecology of the sponges of Northland. is elastic and the colour blackish. Burton (19 32), in reporting the "Discovery" The skeleton is a reticulation of strongly Antarctic sponges, remarked on the relatively fasciculated fibres showing obvious differentia­ advanced state of knowledge of that fauna and tion into ascending and connective fibres. These added only 35 new species from this collection. fibres vary from .02 to 1.0 mm. in diameter. In strong contrast stands the lack of knowledge Foreign inclusions are occasionally present, of the littoral sponge faunas of New Zealand, sometimes filling the whole of a fibre. Filaments particularly of the siliceous groups. The present are not common and are .004 mm . in diameter. collection contains 34 species, all relatively com­ mon members of the northern shore faunas. GENUS Spongia (Linnaeus) Of this number, 17 are new species, and 11 are Spongia reticulata (Lendenfeld) recorded for the first time from New Zealand. Euspongia reticulata (Lendenfeld, 1886, p. No Calcarea are included in the present study. 541) . They are, in general, better known than the Hippospongia reticulata (Lendenfeld, 1889, p. Demospongiae, as most of the published work 300, pl. 13, fig. 3) . by Kirk dealt with this group. All type material is to be deposited in the OCCURRENCE: Rangitoto sublittoral fringe. Dominion Museum , Wellington. DISTRIBUTION: Australia. SYSTEMATIC DISCUSSION FAMILY DYSIDEIDAE (Gray) The scheme of classification followed is that GENUS Dysidea (Johnston) of de Laubenfels (1936) . Dysidea cristagalli, sp. nov. CLASS DEMOSPONGIAE (Sollas) Fig.lb ORDER KERAT OSA (Grant) OCCURRENCE : Noises Islands, 2/5/37 (colI. FAMILY SPONGIIDAE (Gray) L. B. Moore) . Rangitoto, 7/6/57. In rock pools in caves. GENUS lrcinia (Nardo) DESCRIPTION : The sponge is erect, tubular in Ircinia novae zealandiae, sp. nov. shape, with several tubes coalescing to give a Fig.la tubula-flabellare condition. The surface is uneven and the oscules apical, giving access to deep OCCURRENCE : Noises Islands, Hauraki Gulf. cloacae. The texture is firm and friable, the 12/10/56.2 colour ash-grey. The skeleton is an irregular, DESCRIPTION: The sponge is irregularly closely knit reticul ation of fibres varying in palmo-digirare in shape, the surface irregularly diameter from .02 to .2 mm. and having no conulose. Oscules are small, 1-2 mm . in diam- obvious distinction between ascending and con­ nective fibres. The fibres are filled with broken 1 Department of Zoology, University of Auckland, New Zealand . Manuscripr received August 7, 1959. sponge spicules. There is no special dermal skel­ 2 In this paper, dates are given as day/month/year. eton differentiated. 33 34 PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XV, January 1961 Haliclona tenacior, sp. nov. Fig. 3a, b OCCURRENCE: Waitawa Bay, Clevedon, on rocks or seaweed. Rangitoto, on rocks. DESCRIPTION: An encrusting to irregularly massive sponge infested with commensal poly­ chaete worms. Its surface is uneven, minutely and irregularly subpapiIIose. Oscula are few and inconspicuous. Texture is firm and friable . The colour in life is dirty-muddy cream, in spirit FIG. 1. a, Ircinia novae zealandiae, sp. nov . b, Dy­ .ridea cri.rtagalli, sp. nov. ORDER HAPLOSCLERINA (Topsent ) FAMILY HALICLONIDAE (de Laubenfels) GENUS Haliclona (Grant ) Haliclona isodictyale, sp. nov. Fig. 2a, b OCCURRENCE: Waitawa Bay, Clevedon, 31/ 10/35 (call. L. B. Moore). Waitawa Bay, Cleve­ don, 2/10/58. Point Chevalier Reef, 6/7/57. DESCRIPTION: This sponge is an encrusting form with a maximum thickness of 3 mm. Its surface is minutely shaggy and hispid . The oscules are apical on tubular processes, as is characteristic of many haliclonids. The texture is soft and friable. In life the colour is pale cream, in spirit pale brownish-white. The skele­ ton is a subregularly-isodictyal reticulation, mainly unispicular. Spicules. Megascleres: oxea .13 mm. X .007 FIG. 2. a, Haliclona i.rodictyale, sp. nov. b, Hali­ mm. Microscleres: absent . clona isodictyale, typical oxea ex 350). New Zealand Porifera-BERGQUIST 35 are triangular. Connectives are unispicular. Spicules. Megascleres : oxea .152 mm. X .007 mm. Microscleres: absent. Haliclona heterofibrosa (Lundbeck) Reniera heterofibrosa Lundbeck, 1902, p. 47, pIs. 2, 11, figs. 8, 14; Brendsred, 1923, p. 121; Hentschel, 1929, p. 983. OCCURRENCE : Rangiroto Island . Point Che­ valier Reef. Under sides of stones up to half tide. REMARKS: Quite typical specimens, soft tex­ ture, ranging in colour from creamy yellow to faintly purple. DISTRIBUTION: Arctic; Campbell Islands Sub­ antarctic. Haliclona clathrata (Dendy) Reniera clathrata D en dy, 1895, p. 237; Brendsred, 1923, p. 125; 1924a, p. 453); ? R. spec. 4, Hentschel, 1912, p. 410. OCCURRENCE : Karaka Bay (St. Heller's) . REMARKS : Single specimencollected agrees so closely in external form with the holotype of H. clathrata ( Dendy) that there seems every reason to refer it to this species. Structure of the skeleton is closely similar. FIG. 3. a, Haliclona tenacior, sp. nov . b, Haliclona AUSTRA- CAMPBELL tenacior, typical oxea (X 350). LIA N .Z. IS. N . z . (Br.) Oxea .083 .15 7 .085-.115 .09~.105 light greenish-brown . The skeleton is a closely X XX X knit reticulation of systems of fibres ranging .005 mm . .00 7 mm . .005 mm . .004 to .006 mm . from uni - to multispicular. Spi cules. Megascleres : oxea .14 mm. X .007 This species appears to be a typical haliclonid mm. Microscleres : absent. insofar as the spicule sizes vary from specimen Haliclona glabra, sp. nov. Fig. 4 OCCURRENCE : Stanley Bay, under sides of boulders at low tidal levels. DESCRIPTION: A thinly encrusting sponge with even, minutely hispid surface. The oscules are few, minute, and scattered. Texture is firm and friable. Colour in life is dull cream, in spirit pale brownish-white. The skeleton is an iso­ dicryal reticulation, the ascending fibres of which FIG. 4. Haliclona glabra, sp. nov. 36 PACIFIC SCIENCE, Vol. XV, January 1961 to specimen. Small varianons in this respect cannot be considered grounds for differentiating the present specimen from H. clathrata. DISTRIBUTION: Australia (south coast) ; New Zealand ; Campbell Islands. Haliclona petrosioides ( Burton) Haliclona petrosioides Burton, 1932, p. 269, fig. 7. OCCURRENCE: Rangitoto sublittoral fringe. REMARKS: Specimens are thinly encrusting, up to 3 mm. thick, deep cream in colour. Sur­ face conspicuously porose with conspicuous channels radiating in a stellate man ner from small ill-defined oscules. The spiculation is iden ­ tical with that of the holotype. DISTRIBUTION: Tristan da Cunha (South At­ lantic). FAMILY CALLYSPONGIDAE (de Laubenfels) GENUS Callyspongia (Duchassaing & Michelotti) Callyspongia ramosa ( Gray) FIG. 5. a, Phorbas intermedia, sp. nov. b, Phorbas intermedia, acanthotornota, acanthostyles, isochelae, Synonymy: See Burton, 1934, p. 603 . sigrnara, raphides (X 350 ). OCCU:R:1l.'ENCE: Noises Islands; Kawau Island ; Narrow Neck. REMARKS : An erect branching sponge, purple DESCRIPTION : An irregularly massive sponge in life. Commonly washed up on Auckland with an uneven to minutely papillate surface. beaches. Oscula are not apparent. Th e texture is firm. DISTRIBUTION: New Zealand; Australia; Ant­ Colour in life is a rich yellow, in spirit a pale arctica. yellow. The skeleton, a confused system of as­ cending fibres branching and anastomosi ng, is composed of bundles of acanthostyli of two sizes ORDER POECILOSCLERINA ( Topsent ) and tornota. There is a dermal palisade of GRO UP PHORBASIFORMES (de Laubenfels ) brushes of tornota. FAMILY PHORBASIDAE (de Laubenfels ) Spicules. Megascleres: (a) acanrhosryles .17 to .22 mm. X .005 to .007 mm. ; (b) acantho­ GENUS Phorbas ( Duchassaing & Michelotti) styles .09 X.004 mm .; (c) tornota with sub­ rylore microspined ends-.I5 X .004 to .006 mm. Phorbas intermedia, sp. nov. There are numerous intermediates between acan­ Fig. 5a, b thostyli and tornora. Microscleres :(a) arcuate isochelae .04 X .045 mm. chord ;( b) sigrnara OCCURRENCE: Rangiroro; Karaka Bay (St. .017 X .021 mm. chord ;(c) raphides .04 X .07 H elier's ) . mm.long. New Zealand Porifera-BERGQUIST 37 FAMILY ADOCIIDAE (de Laubenfels) faintly pink, in spirit pale brownish white. Main and dermal skeletons unispicular. GENUS Adocia (Gray) Spicules. Megascleres: oxea .15 X .0 1 mm. Adocia parietalioides, sp. nov. Microscleres: absent. Fig. 6a, b REMARKS: This species is most closely related to A. parietalis (Topsent ) from the Mediter­ OCCURRENCE : Rangiroto Island; littoral. ranean, from which species it differs in: (a) the DESCRIPTION: An encrusting sponge with absence of subdermal canals radiating from the even, porose surface. Oscules small, 1-2 mm. in oscules; (b) the character of the undersurface diameter, few in number, and level with the of the free edges (which in A. parietalis "releve surface. Texture firm and friable. Colour in life . .. er y developpe a sa face inferieure un feutrage plus serre des spicules . :'); (c) the size of the oxea , which are .0 1 mm. in thickness, as opposed to .005 mm. in A . parietalis. Adocia venustina, sp. nov . Fig. 7a, b OCCURRENCE : N oises Islands, in mouth of cave;