Porifera, one new species Suberea purpureaflava n. sp. (Demospongiae, Verongida, Aplysinellidae) from northern Red Sea coral reefs, with short descriptions of Red Sea Verongida and known Suberea species

Abstract

A new verongid sponge (Suberea purpureaflava n. sp.) is described from Dahab, Gulf of Aqaba, in the northern Red Sea. It has a pronounced colour change (a dark red ectosome with whitish pore sieves and a light yellow choanosome in the living specimen changes to a uniform dark violet in the fixed state) and rather rare dendritic fibres with pith and bark and a diameter of about 110–165µm, with the pith occupying 80–90 % of the fibre. Especially the pore sieves were very striking in situ. The new species is compared to all verongid sponges so far recorded from the Red Sea and to all known and accepted Suberea species worldwide. An identification key to all known Suberea species is given. This new species record brings the number of Suberea species described to a total of 11.