Some new Haliclona species (Demospongiae, Haplosclerida) from British Columbia Shallow Waters and a Re-Description of Haliclona mollis (Lambe, 1893)

Abstract

Background. A numer of Haliclona species (Demospongiae, Haplosclerida) in the Austin and McDaniel collections at the Royal British Columbia Museum (RBCM) are identified only to genus or genus and species. The collections are representative of over 40 years of sampling principally by the late Dr. William C. Austin and one of us (Neil McDaniel) through SCUBA diving on the west coast of British Columbia and specimens provided by others to Dr. Austin. We have selected representative Haliclona species in the collections for detailed examination and placement in subgenera and species (where species were not identified). Haliclona is recognized to have several subgenera, thus identification of specimens to genus and species is incomplete. Our study updates this status for the species examined. Methods. Methods of collection included intertidal scrapings or removal of non-encrusting specimens usually accompanied by in-situ photos, similar methods at SCUBA diving depths (subtidal to 35 m) and from other dredging, trawling and biological sampling activities. Results. We describe eleven new Haliclona (Demospongeae Haplosclerida Chalinadae) species and a range extension for Haliclona (Flagellia) edaphus de Laubenfels, 1930 for shallow waters of Southwestern British Columbia, Canada. New species include Haliclona (Gellius) hartmani n. sp., Haliclona (Gellius) shishalhensis n. sp., Haliclona (Reniera) gesteta n. sp., Haliclona (Rhizoniera) aborescens n. sp., Haliclona (Rhizoniera) blanca n. sp., Haliclona (Rhizoniera) boothensis n. sp., Haliclona (Rhizoniera) filix n. sp., Haliclona (Rhizoniera) kunechina n.sp., Haliclona (Rhizoniera) meandrina n. sp., Haliclona (Rhizoniera) penelakuta n. sp., and Haliclona (Rhizoniera) vulcana n. sp. We also redescribe Haliclona mollis (Lambe, 1893 [1894]) and propose placing it in the subgenus Haliclona. Except for Lambe syntype slides of Haliclona mollis which are deposited at the Canadian Museum of Nature, Ottawa, Canada, all holotypes and voucher specimens of species described are deposited at RBCM.