First record of the genus Discorhabdella (Porifera, Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida, Crambeidae) from Sagami Bay, Japan with description of two new species

Abstract

Two new species of Discorhabdella are described from Sagami Bay, Japan. Discorhabdella has been suggested to have an ancient Tethyan origin according to discovery of their unique pseudoastrose acanthostyles from late Eocene to Oligocene deposits. This is the first record of the genus from the northwest Pacific and first record of the family Crambeidae from Japan. Discorhabdella hispida sp. nov. is distinctive within the genus by possession of special sigmoid microscleres and C-shaped isochelae with short alae. Discorhabdella misakiensis sp. nov. is characterized by short choanosomal subtylostyles, and their length overlapped with that of the ectosomal subtylostyles. Only one other species, Discorhabdella tuberosocapitata (Topsent, 1890), has the same spicule composition. However, all spicule types are larger in D. tuberosocapitata than those of D. misakiensis sp. nov., and the shape of the isochelae is different: the alae are more widely opened in D. tuberosocapitata. An identification key to species of the genus Discorhabdella is also provided. The discovery of two new species from warm temperate northwest Pacific extends the geographical distribution of the genus Discorhabdella.