The number of endemic species of freshwater sponges (Malawispongiidae; Spongillina; Porifera) from Lake Kinneret is overestimated. (29th May 2013)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Itskovich, Valeria; Kaluzhnaya, Oxana; Ostrovsky, Ilia; McCormack, Grace
• Is Part Of: Journal of zoological systematics and evolutionary research. Volume 51:Number 3(2013:Aug.)
• Page Start: 252
• Page End: 257
• Publication Date: 2013-05-29
• Subjects: Animals -- Classification -- Periodicals; Zoology -- Periodicals; Evolution -- Periodicals; 578.012
• DOI: 10.1111/jzs.12022
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0947-5745

Abstract

<abstract abstract-type="main" id="jzs12022-abs-0001"> <title>Abstract</title> <p>It is well accepted that the freshwater sponges (Porifera; Haplosclerida; Spongillina) currently comprise six extant families: Spongillidae, Lubomirskiidae, Malawispongiidae, Metaniidae, Metschnikowiidae and Potamolepidae, but the phylogeny of this group is poorly understood. Family Malawispongiidae includes five genera: <italic>Malawispongia</italic>, <italic> Spinospongilla</italic>, <italic> Cortispongilla</italic>, <italic> Ochridaspongia</italic>, <italic> Pachydictyum</italic>, which inhabit ancient lakes: Malawi and Tanganyika (African Rift Valley), Kinneret (Middle East), Ohrid (Europe) and Poso (Central Sulawesi). We show via nuclear and mitochondrial markers (<italic>cox</italic> 1, 28S rRNA and ribosomal ITS regions) that both endemic species <italic>Cortispongilla barroisi</italic> and <italic>Ephydatia syriaca</italic> from Lake Kinneret are synonymous with the cosmopolitian species <italic>Ephydatia fluviatilis</italic>, which also supports suggestions that the family Malawispongiidae is polyphyletic. Our findings also suggest that <italic>Nudospongilla</italic> is a synthetic taxon and that the number of endemic freshwater sponge species is overestimated.</p> </abstract>