Two New Marine Sponges of the Genus Haliclona (Haplosclerida: Chalinidae) from Korea

Abstract

Two new marine sponges, Haliclona (Haliclona) tonggumiensis n. sp. and H. (Reniera) sinyeoensis n. sp., in the family Chalinidae were collected from Ulleungdo Island and Gageodo Island, Korea from 2007 to 2009. Haliclona (Haliclona) tonggumiensis n. sp. is similar to H .( H.) simulans (Johnston, 1842) in shape, but the former differs in its ectosomal skeleton structure and spicules’ shape and size. The ectosomal skeleton of H. (H.) tonggumiensis n. sp. is absent, but that of H .( H.) simulans is very regularly arranged, and has tangential reticulation with oxea. The spicule shape of H .( H.) tonggumiensis n. sp. is slender, but that of H .( H.) simulans is short and cigar-shape. The new species have two sizes of oxea, but H .( H.) simulans has one size of oxea. Haliclona (Reniera) sinyeoensis n. sp. resembles H .( R.) tubifera (George and Wilson, 1919) in the growth form and choanosomal skeleton structure. However, the new species has two kinds of oxea in size, but H. (R.) tubifera has only one size.