31 December 1981
PROC. B10L. SOC. WASH.
94(4),1981, pp. 1219-1225
CLIONA RHODENSIS, NEW SPECIES (PORIFERA:
HADROMERIDA) FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN
Klau{Riitzler~ d Richard G. Bromley
Abstract.-A new species of the limestone-excavating sponge family
Clionidae, Cliona rhodensis, is described from the Mediterranean. The
sponge is vivid orange-red in color, makes small papillar and large chamber
excavations, and has microscleres with an unusually great range of shape
and size. Mean length and width of spicules is 365.4 x 10.4 I-tm for tylo?
styles, 11.4 x 4.7 I-tm for small papillar microscleres, and 43.4 x 5.71-tm for
large choanosomal spirasters. At Rhodes (Greece) C. rhodensis is among
the three most abundant c1ionids in shallow water. The species has also
been found elsewhere in the Mediterranean where it has been reported pre?
viouslyas C. carteri (Ridley).
Introduction
Three species of distinctive red c1ionid sponges are known to be common
in the Mediterranean (Volz 1939). Cliona schmidti (Ridley) is purplish red,
C. vastifica Hancock is orange yellow to orange-red, and C. vermifera
Hancock is vermilion. During a recent survey of the limestone coast of
Rh6dos (Rhodes), Greece, one of us (RGB) noted a very common bright
orange-red Cliona whose spiculation was very different from that of any of
the aforementioned species. Further study showed the identity of the
Rhodes sponge to be the same as a species described from Tunisia as C.
carteri (Ridley) (Riitzler 1973). The type of C. carteri, however, was since
examined (by KR) at the British Museum (Natural History) (No.
1876.12.27.14) and found to be distinct from any of the Mediterranean ma?
terial studied. We have now come to the conclusion that the common red
CLiona from Rhodes represents an undescribed species.
Family Clionidae
Cliona rhodensis, new species
Figs. 1, 2
Description.-Color: The papillae are vivid orange-red (cf. no. 33A, color
chart, Royal Horticultural Society, London), the choanosome is orange-red,
too, but less brilliant. Color fades to orange-brown or yellow-brown on
drying and becomes grey in alcohol.
Shape and size: Papillae are circular and discrete, fusion is very uncom-
1220 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
Fig. I. Cliona rhodensis: a, Underwater view of papillae of a live specimen, scale bar =
2 em; b, Two chambers of a preserved specimen exposed by breaking up substrate rock, scale
bar = 5 mm; c, Tylostyles of holotype, USNM 31371, scale bar = 100 J.Lm.
mon, and there is no growth above the substrate (Fig. la). Inhalant papillae
range 0.5-3.0 mm (average 2 mm), exhalant papillae 2.0-4.8 mm (average
3 mm). Excavations are large and camerate (Fig. Ib). New chambers are
initiated at a distance from the next and grow subspherically until the shape
is compromised by adjacent chambers. Intervening walls of substrate be?
come increasingly thin and are eliminated here and there causing fusion of
chambers. Unfused chambers measure 10 x 10 mm to 12 x 20 mm in cross?
section but fusion can create crypts over 3 cm long. The largest crypt mea?
sured was about 2 x 4 cm and considerably larger but empty ones-believed
to have been bored by this species-are commonly encountered. Intercham?
ber canals are numerous and fine, rarely exceeding 0.5 mm in diameter.
Excavations resemble those of Chona celata Grant (cf. Volz 1939:pl. 2, fig.
3, lower). Chambers of fresh material are filled by fairly tough tissue. The
largest sponge observed measured 55 cm in diameter.
Spicules: Tylostyles are fusiform with a distinct head (Fig. Ic). Mucronate
and subterminal modifications of the head are common. Microscleres are of
VOLUME 94, NUMBER 4 1221
two types and size classes. Short, stout spirasters (Fig. 2b) and amphiasters
(Fig. 2a) with many heavy-set compound spines (category I) prevail in the
papillar tissue, long thin spirasters and some straight rods with few slender
spines (category II) (Fig. 2c) are most common in the chamber tissue. Spic?
ule dimensions for individual specimens are given in Table 1. Mean of means
of all specimens measured (length x width) is 365.4 x 10.4 J-tm for tylo?
styles, 11.4 x 4.7 J-tm for microscleres I (spirasters, amphiasters), and
43.4 x 5.7 J-tm for microscleres II (spirasters).
EcoLogy.-Depth: At Rhodes CLiona rhodensis is very abundant between
sea level and 3 m depth. It is common to 9 m depth but it was not seen
between 9 m and 15 m, despite numerous dives to that depth. However, the
sponge looks drab at 8 m and could have been overlooked because no
artificial light ,was available. In southern France this species may occur as
deep as 40 m (Topsent 1900:98).
Habitat: The new species is estimated to be second in abundance among
c1ionids on all limestone coasts of Rhodes; CLiona viridis (Schmidt) is most
common, Cliothosa hancocki Topsent ranks third. CLiona rhodensis is most
obvious on well-lit upper surfaces of limestone where echinoid grazing has
removed fleshy algal cover. However, the sponge is equally abundant under
overhangs in deeply shaded locations in shallow water. It appears less com?
mon under thick algal turf but this observation may merely reflect the greater
, difficulty of discovery there.
Substrate: The Rhodes localities abound in Mesozoic limestone thinly
coated by lithothamnioid algae which is the normal substrate for Cliona
rhodensis. The sponge occurs in large boulders but was never seen in rocks
less than 8 cm in diameter, or in loose mollusk shells. It is also found in
beachrock composed of limestone pebbles cemented by magnesium calcite.
In such cases the sponge is commonly restricted to the cement between the
grains producing malformed excavations.
Distribution.-Mediterranean: Rhodes, Greece (identically colored
sponges with the same excavation pattern were seen at Crete, Monemvasia,
and Corfu but no specimens were collected); Korbous, Tunisia (as Cliona
carteri, Riitzler 1973:629); S. Vito, near Bari, Italy; and Capo Caccia, Sar?
dinia, Italy (A. Schwarz, Bochum, pers. comm.). Specimens reported from
the Dalmatian Adriatic, Yugoslavia (as Vioa viridis var. carteri, Lendenfeld
1897:59), from the Gulf of Taranto and the Channel of Otranto, Italy (as C.
carteri: Sara 1964:306), and from the south coast of France (as C. viridis
var. carteri: Topsent 1900:98) are presumed to belong 'to this species.
EtymoLogy.-Named after RhOdos, the type-locality.
MateriaL examined.-Holotype and 7 paratypes are deposited in the col?
lection of the National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution
(USNM), one paratype at the British Museum (Natural History) (BM). Ho?
lotype-8 m depth, St. Paul's Bay, Lindos, Rhodes, Greece, R. Bromley,
Table I.-Spicule dimensions for Cliona rhodensis. Measurements (in j.tm) are ranges of 10 or more spicules chosen at random, with means
? SE in parentheses (- = no data).
N
N
N
Tyloslyles
Length x Width Neck diameter Head diameter
Holotype
Rhodes, USNM 31371" 7.3-12.9 (10.0 ? 0.5) x 2.8-5.9 (4.9 ? 0.2) 38.7-53.5 (45.5 ? 1.8) x 5.0-11.2 (7.5 ? 0.8)
Paratypes
Rhodes, USNM 31368 7.5-15.0 (10.8 ? 0.5) - 32.5-52.5 (43.9 ? 1.9)
USNM 31369
USNM 31370 5.0-13.8 (9.0 ? 0.5) - 27.5-57.5 (47.9 ? 3.4)
BM 1981:4:9:1
Bari, USNM 31372 6.3-20.0 (12.1 ? 0.9)
- 35.0-65.0 (42.8 ? 2.8)
Korobous, USNM 31373b 7.5-30.0 (15.3) x 3.8-6.4 (4.5) 27.5-45.5 (36.8) x 2.5- 5.0 (3.8)
" Measurements of microscleres from scanning electron micrographs.
b Values from Rlitzler 1973.
Microscleres I Microscleres II
"0
::c
o
n
tTl
tTl
S2
Z
o
CJ)
o
'Tl
-l
:t
tTl
tIl
o
l'
o
o
n
>?
l'
CJ)
o
Q
tTl
-l
-<
o
'Tl
::E
>?CJ)
:t
Z
a
-3
o
Z
Width
7.5-16.3 (12.4 ? 1.0)
10.0-16.3 (13.8 ? 0.7)
8.8-18.8 (14.0 ? 0.5)
10.0-15.0 (12.6 ? 0.6)
5.0-15.0 (12.3 ? 1,0)
7.5-13.8 (12.1 ? 0.8)
11.3-15.0 (13.0)
xLength
5.0-11.3 (8.1 ? 0.6)
5.0-11.3 (9.1 ? 0.4)
3.8- 8.8 (6.6 ? 0.7)
2.5- 8.8 (7.0 ? 0.7)
5.0- 7.5 (6.8 ? 0.3)
5.0-10.0 (7.9 ? 0.6)
Width
7.5-13.8 (11.0 ? 0.7)
7.5-12.5 (11.0 ? 0.6)
7.5-16.3 (12.4 ? 0.5)
5.0-12.5 (9.9 ? 0.8)
2.5-12.5 (9.3 ? 1.0)
7.5-10.0 (9.8 ? 0.3)
6.3-12.0 (9.3)
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
x
Length
320-425 (402 ? 12)
300-485 (394 ? 16)
360-490 (420 ? 7)
300-420 (380 ? 12)
250-370 (318 ? 12)
270-470 (342 ? 19)
250-370 (302)
Holotype
Rhodes, USNM 31371"
Paratypes
Rhodes, USNM 31368
USNM 31369
USNM 31370
BM 1981:4:9:1
Bari, USNM 31372
Korbous, USNM 31373b
VOLUME 94, NUMBER 4 1223
Fig. 2. Cliona rhodensis: Holotype, USNM 31371: a, Papillar amphiasters, x4600; b, Pa?
pillar spirasters, x4600; C, Choanosomal spirasters, x 1500.
coil. 3 June 1979, USNM 31371 (dry). Paratypes-4 m depth, Porto Piccolo,
St. Paul's Bay, Lindos, Rhodes, Greece, R. Bromley, coil. 27 Sept. 1977,
USNM 31366 (dry); 3 m depth, St. Paul' Bay, Lindos, Rhodes, Greece, R.
Bromley, coli. 3 May 1978, USNM 31367 (dry); 2-4 m depth, St. Paul's
Bay, Lindos, Rhodes, Greece, R. Bromley, coli. 3 June 1979, US M 31368
1224 PROCEEDINGS OF THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON
(alcohol); 0.5 m depth, north point of Ladiko south, Rhodes, Greece, R.
Bromley, coli. 4 June 1979, USNM 31369 (alcohol); 3 m depth, Ladiko,
Rhodes, Greece, R. Bromley, coIl. 4 June 1979, USNM 31370 (dry); I m
depth, S. Vito, South of Bari, Italy, K. Ri.itzler, coli. 25 May 1968, USNM
31372 (alcohol); 4 m depth, Korbous, Tunisia, K. Ri.itzler, coli. 24 June
1970, USNM 31373 (alcohol); 2 m depth, St. Paul's Bay, Rhodes, Greece,
R. Bromley, coli. 9 May 1978, BM 1981:4:9:1 (dry).
Discussion.-Topsent (1900:98) assigned specimens of a red clionid from
the Mediterranean coast of France (Banyuls, Cap I' Abeille) to Cliona carteri
(Ridley) and agreed with Lendenfeld (1897:59) who considered this sponge
to be only a variety of C. viridis (Schmidt). Neither author had examined
type-material.
The holotyp.e of Vioa carteri Ridley (BM 1876.12.27.14) is still of vivid
red-purple (R. H. S. color chart 66A) color, in spite of the long storage time
in alcohol. The pigment resembles that of CLiona schmidti (Ridley) which
is purple (R. H. S. color chart 78B) and of similar stability in many organic
solvents (Christomanos and Norton 1974: 19). The few papillae visible on
the coralline encrusted rock fragment are under I mm in diameter. The only
visible excavation is a 12 x 2 mm gallery of confluent chambers lined with
red-purple tissue. Tylostyles and spirasters (1 category only) are of the size
and shape described and figured by the author of the species (Ridley
1881: 129, pI. XI, fig. 2).
In spite of spicular similarities between Cliona carteri and C. viridis the
distinctive pigment of the former should be sufficient to keep the two species
separate, at least until more material is available. Topsent (1900: 100), how?
ever, presumed the original color designation as incorrect and ignored the
significance of two spiraster categories that he pointed out in his description
and illustration (p. 99, pI. III, fig. 4); his sponge clearly belongs to our new
species, C. rhodensis. Ri.itzler (1973:629, fig. 4) followed Topsent's (1900)
interpretation and described a red sponge from Tunisia as C. carteri. This
specimen (USNM 31373) is now part of the type-series of C. rhodensis.
Only two clionids-C. Lobata Hancock and CLiona schmidti (Ridley)?
have a spicule complement comparable to that of C. rhodensis. Both lack
amphiasters, make much smaller excavations, and are distinct in several
other aspects: C. Lobata is yellow and has much smaller and thinner tylo?
styles (200 x 4 p,m) (Topsent 1900:70); C. schmidti is purple (with alcohol?
insoluble pigment), has smaller tylostyles (260 x 6 p,m), and much larger,
thicker, and coarser spined spirasters I (43 x 14 p,m) (Ri.itzler 1973).
Acknowledgments
The first author is grateful to Shirley Stone for her hospitality during his
visit to the British Museum (Natural History). We thank Debbie Robertson
VOLUME 94, NUMBER 4 1225
for technical assistance and Walter Brown for operating the scanning elec?
tron microscope.
Literature Cited
Christomanos, A. A., and A. B. Norton. 1974. Beitrage zur Kenntnis der Pigmente der
Schwamme Aplysina aerophoba und Clione schmidtii [sic].-Folia Biochimica et Bio?
logica Graeca II: 10-20.
Lendenfeld, R. von. 1897. Die Clavulina der Adria.-Nova Acta, Abhandlungen der Kai?
serlichen Leopoldinisch-Carolinischen Deutschen Akademie der Naturforscher 69: 1?
251, pis. 1-12.
Riitzler, K. 1973. Clionid Sponges from the Coast of Tunisia.-Bulletin de I'Institut
d'Oceanographie et de Peche, Salammb6 2:623, figs. 1-7.
Sara, M. 1964. Poriferi di acque superficiali (0-3 m) de11itorale italiano.-Annali del Pontificio
Istituto Scienze e Lettere S. Chiara Napoli 14:299-317.
Topsent, E. 1900. Etude Monographique des Spongiaires de France, III: Monaxonida (Had?
romerina).-Archives de Zoologie Experimentale et Generale, 3e serie, 8: 1-331, pis. 1?
7.
Volz, P. 1939. Die Bohrschwamme (Clioniden) der Adria.-Tha1assia 3: 1-64, pis. 1-5.
(KR) Department of Invertebrate Zoology, Smithsonian Institution,
Washington, D.C. 20560; (RGB) Institut for Historisk Geologi og Palaeon?
tologi, 0ster Voldgade 10, 1350 Copenhagen K, Denmark.