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Rob W. M. Van Soest - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Affinities of the family Sollasellidae (Porifera, Demospongiae). II. Molecular evidence
Contributions to Zoology, 2007Co-Authors: Dirk Erpenbeck, John N. A. Hooper, Sue E. List-armitage, Bernard M. Degnan, Gert Wörheide, Rob W. M. Van SoestAbstract:This is the second part of a revision and re-classification of the demosponge family Sollasellidae, and an example of a successful use of combined morphological and molecular data. Sollasella had been a poorly known, long forgotten taxon, placed incertae sedis in the order Hadromerida in the last major revision of the demosponges. It has recently been suggested to belong to Raspailiidae in the order Poecilosclerida due to striking morphological similarities. The present analysis verified this re-classification using molecular markers. Comparing 28S rDNA fragments of Sollasella cervicornis, a newly described species S. moretonensis and a representative set of raspailiid and hadromerid samples. In our analyses Sollasella clearly clusters inside the Raspailiidae clade, and distantly from hadromerid taxa. Supporting morphological hypothesis of Van Soest et al. (2006), that Sollasella is a raspailiid sponge.
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Affinities of the family Sollasellidae (Porifera, Demospongiae). I. Morphological evidence
Contributions to Zoology, 2006Co-Authors: Rob W. M. Van Soest, John N. A. Hooper, E.j. Beglinger, Dirk ErpenbeckAbstract:Comparison of Sollasella digitata Lendenfeld, 1888, up until the present assigned to its own family Sollasellidae Lendenfeld, 1887 in the order Hadromerida, and Raspailopsis cervicornis Burton, 1959, assigned to Raspailiidae Nardo, 1833 in the order Poecilosclerida, leads to the conclusion that both should be considered congeneric and are best assigned to a single genus Sollasella. This conclusion is based on examination of habit and skeletal characters of the type material of S. digitata and both type and freshly collected material of S. cervicornis. The conclusion is strengthened by the discovery of a new species, Sollasella moretonensis n.sp. collected in North Australia (primarily in the northeastern coast, but also an isolated record from the northwestern Australian coast), which possesses in addition to the characteristic surface pattern and skeletal structure, genuine echinating acanthostyles. The redefined genus Sollasella shares axial / extra-axial arrangement of the skeleton, special surface brushes of oxeas surrounding a single protruding style, and vestigial occurrence of acanthostyles with many Raspailia s.l. Nevertheless, it is retained as a separate genus, on account of its peculiar polygonal arrangement of surface pores. The distribution of the genus is disjunctive including both (southeast, northeast and northwest) Australian and Western Indian Ocean localities, but so far no intermediate records. Based on this morphological evidence, it is proposed – pending publication of corroborating molecular evidence to be presented in a follow-up study – to reassign Sollasella and the family Sollasellidae to the poecilosclerid family Raspailiidae.
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Family Desmacellidae Ridley & Dendy, 1886
Systema Porifera, 2002Co-Authors: Eduardo Hajdu, Rob W. M. Van SoestAbstract:Desmacellidae (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida) are poecilosclerids lacking chelae, a feature shared with the closely related families Hamacanthidae and Merliidae. Desmacellidae are distinguished from these families by the lack of diancistra-like microscleres. Noticeable in this group is a preponderance of toxic or dermatitis-producing sponges. Six valid genera are included in the Desmacellidae, viz., Biemna, Desmacella,Dragmatella, Microtylostylifer, Neofibularia and Sigmaxinella. Nominal genera Allantophora and Toxemna are considered junior synonyms of Biemna. Tylodesma, Tylosigma, Sigmotylotella and Sigmatoxella are junior synonyms of Desmacella. Hallmannia is a junior synonym of Microtylostylifer. [Fibularia] is a senior synonym of Neofibularia, but is preoccupied. Sigmaxia is considered a junior synonym of Sigmaxinella.
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Family Desmacididae Schmidt, 1870
Systema Porifera, 2002Co-Authors: Rob W. M. Van SoestAbstract:Desmacididae Schmidt (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida) are Myxillina characterized by the possession of anchorate chelae in combination with a reticulate skeleton of exclusively oxeas. By this definition the family contents are here newly restricted to the type genus Desmacidon and its closest relative Desmapsamma. All other genera previously assigned by various authors to this family are referred to other families- Myxillina with exclusively oxeas and arcuate isochelae are united in the family Dendoricellidae, whereas Myxillina with exclusively strongyles and arcuate chelae are assigned to Chondropsidae, and Myxillina with exclusively styles and arcuate chelae are assigned to Phellodermidae. Poecilosclerid sponges with exclusively diactinal spicules and palmate chelae are referred to the Mycalina family Isodictyidae.
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Family Coelosphaeridae Dendy, 1922
Systema Porifera, 2002Co-Authors: Rob W. M. Van SoestAbstract:Coelosphaeridae Dendy (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida), originally intended to receive all Poecilosclerida with fistules, parchment-like surface membrane and hollow bladder-like shape, is here rearranged to unite Myxillina possessing arcuate chelae, ectosomal smooth tornotes and if present a reticulate choanosomal skeleton. Fistular shape is considered only significant at the genus level. Genera and species with fistular shape but possessing birotulas palmate chelae and/or toxas previously assigned to Coelosphaeridae are here excluded from the family and reassigned to Iotrochotidae (genus Amphiasterella), Microcionina (fistular Acamidae) and Mycalina (isodictyid genus Coelocarteria). In the newly revised family seven genera are considered valid, but several are further subdivided into convenient subgenera.
Eduardo Hajdu - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Resumo: Os poríferos dos recifes do Estado de Alagoas (nord...
2016Co-Authors: Victor Ribeiro Cedro, Eduardo Hajdu, Monica Dorigo CorreiaAbstract:Biota Neotrop., vol. 11, no. 1 Mycale alagoana sp.nov. and two new formal records of Porifera (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida) from the shallow-water reefs of Alagoas (Brazil
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Mycalina: Another Crack in the Poecilosclerida Framework
Integrative and Comparative Biology, 2013Co-Authors: Eduardo Hajdu, Thiago S. De Paula, Niamh E. Redmond, Bruno Cosme, Allen Gilbert Collins, Gisele Lôbo-hajduAbstract:National Systematics Laboratory of NOAA Fisheries Service and Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museumof Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 20560, USAFrom the symposium ‘‘Assembling the Poriferan Tree of Life’’ presented at the annual meeting of the Society forIntegrative and Comparative Biology, January 3–7, 2013 at San Francisco, California.
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Mycalina: another crack in the Poecilosclerida framework.
Integrative and comparative biology, 2013Co-Authors: Eduardo Hajdu, Thiago S. De Paula, Niamh E. Redmond, Bruno Cosme, Allen Gilbert Collins, Gisele Lôbo-hajduAbstract:This is the first phylogenetic analysis integrating both morphological and molecular data of the sponge suborder Mycalina (Poecilosclerida), which was erected in 1994. A cladistic analysis of morphology supported the monophyly of Cladorhizidae (including Euchelipluma), Guitarridae (excluding Euchelipluma), Isodictyidae, Latrunculiidae, and Podospongiidae but rejected monophyly for Desmacellidae, Esperiopsidae, Hamacanthidae, and Mycalidae. Analyses of partial 16S and partial 28S rRNA datasets combined, as well as that of a complete 18S rDNA dataset, suggest that Mycalina is not monophyletic; Biemnidae is only distantly related to other poecilosclerids; Merlia and Desmacella branch near the base of a diverse Poecilosclerida clade; Mycalidae is monophyletic (excluding Mycale [Anomomycale] titubans in 18S); and Esperiopsidae and Isodictyidae form a clade. Analyses of the two molecular datasets differed on the monophyly of Podospongiidae and about the relationship of Podospongiidae to Isodictyidae + Esperiopsidae.
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Mycale alagoana sp.nov. and two new formal records of Porifera (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida) from the shallow-water reefs of Alagoas (Brazil)
Biota Neotropica, 2011Co-Authors: Victor Ribeiro Cedro, Eduardo Hajdu, Monica Dorigo CorreiaAbstract:The Porifera occurring at Alagoas State reefs (north-eastern Brazil) are still little-known, with few species listed and even fewer formally described. From a total of 48 species recorded from the state, only eight belong to the Poecilosclerida, including those (re)described in this study. Here we describe a new species, Mycale (Mycale) alagoana sp.nov., and redescribe two species: Lissodendoryx (Lissodendoryx) isodictyalis (Carter, 1882) and Mycale (Naviculina) diversisigmata Van Soest, 1984, both first formal redescriptions from the Southwestern Atlantic. Additionally, Mycale (Aegogropila) escarlatei Hajdu et al., 1995 is here reported from Alagoas for the first time, in discussing the difficulties inherent to recognition in the field of small crustose Mycalids with neatly reticulated surfaces.
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Taxonomy of Rhabderemia Topsent, 1890 collected from the south-eastern Brazilian continental shelf and slope by Programme REVIZEE (Rhabderemiidae, Poecilosclerida, Demospongiae), with the description of two new species
Zootaxa, 2005Co-Authors: Maíra V. Oliveira, Eduardo HajduAbstract:Three new records (two new species) of Rhabderemia (Rhabderemiidae, Poecilosclerida, Demospongiae) are described from the South-eastern Brazilian coast, collected during Programme REVIZEE (1996–2002)-South Score, off the Sao Paulo and Santa Catarina State coasts. Rhabderemia uruguaiensis can be recognized by its rhabdostyles which are frequently smaller than 150µm as well as frequently larger than 300µm, and microscleres which are a single category of microstyles smaller than 100µm and small spirosigmata always smaller than 15µm. Rhabderemia besnardi sp. nov. is characterized by possession of two categories of spined microstyles, one category of rugose rhabdostyles and small spirosigmata. Rhabderemia itajai sp. nov. differs from other congeners, because of its rhabdostyles which are never smaller than 300µm, next to microstyles always smaller than 70µm and small spirosigmata always smaller than 10µm.
John N. A. Hooper - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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New species and redescription of Clathria (Thalysias) basiarenacea (Boury-Esnault, 1973)
2016Co-Authors: Helcy Galindo, John N. A. Hooper, Ulisses PinheiroAbstract:The subgenus Clathria (Thalysias) Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 has 97 valid species, of which 27 are recorded in the Atlantic Ocean.However, only three species are known from Brazil so far. Here we provide the redescription of Clathria (Thalysias) basiarenacea (Boury- Esnault, 1973), based on the discovery of new characters (additional category of auxil-iary styles, and details of spicules), and describe a new species of Clathria (Thalysias) repens sp. nov., that differs from sister species in having a live orange color, a massively encrusting repent growth form with lamellate folds and anasto-mosed projections, and three categories of structural styles, of which the two auxiliary styles have microspined heads. We also invalidate the record of Clathria (Thalysias) procera (Ridley, 1884) for Brazil. Key words: Brazil, marine sponges, Porifera, Poecilosclerida, new specie
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Molecular phylogeny of Abyssocladia (Cladorhizidae: Poecilosclerida) and Phelloderma (Phellodermidae: Poecilosclerida) suggests a diversification of chelae microscleres in cladorhizid sponges
Zoologica Scripta, 2012Co-Authors: Sergio Vargas, Dirk Erpenbeck, John N. A. Hooper, Dorte Janussen, Christian Göcke, Kathryn A. Hall, Gert WörheideAbstract:Vargas, S., Erpenbeck, D., Gocke, C., Hall, K. A., Hooper, J. N. A., Janussen, D. & Worheide, G. (2012) Molecular phylogeny of Abyssocladia (Cladorhizidae: Poecilosclerida) and Phelloderma (Phellodermidae: Poecilosclerida) suggests a diversification of chelae microscleres in cladorhizid sponges. Zoologica Scripta, 42, 106116. The taxonomic placement of Abyssocladia Levi, 1964 (Poecilosclerida) is controversial, having been assigned at various times to three different families (Mycalidae, Cladorhizidae and Phellodermidae) in two different suborders (Mycalina and Myxillina, respectively), since its inception in 1964. It shares the general body plan with the carnivorous sponge family Cladorhizidae (Mycalina), including the lack of an aquiferous system. Nevertheless, it also has chela spicules apparently identical to those in PhellodermaRidley & Dendy 1886 (Phellodermidae, Myxillina). The ongoing debate on the position of Abyssocladia ultimately reduces to a discussion on the use of chelae morphology to infer phylogenetic relationships within Poecilosclerida. Here, we infer the phylogenetic relationships of the genera Phelloderma and Abyssocladia using two independent molecular markers (28S rDNA and COI), showing that Abyssocladia is not closely related to Phelloderma and belongs in Cladorhizidae. We suggest that despite their complexity, chelae morphology can evolve independently in different poecilosclerid lineages and as such might be potentially misleading as indicator of the phylogenetic history of the group. We also provide the first phylogenetic analysis of the carnivorous sponge family Cladorhizidae and give first insights into the evolution of this feeding mode in Poecilosclerida and, more generally, in Porifera.
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Towards a DNA taxonomy of Caribbean demosponges: a gene tree reconstructed from partial mitochondrial CO1 gene sequences supports previous rDNA phylogenies and provides a new perspective on the systematics of Demospongiae
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 2007Co-Authors: Dirk Erpenbeck, John N. A. Hooper, Sandra Duran, Klaus Rützler, Valerie J. Paul, Gert WörheideAbstract:We present the most comprehensive cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 gene tree published to date for demosponges based on new sequences. The CO1 barcoding fragment is sequenced for 65 species from the Caribbean Sea, and its gene tree reconstructed. Although its deeper nodes are not particularly well-supported, the gene tree provides a variety of information for new phylogenetic patterns, as well as support for previously published 28S rDNA gene trees. In our analysis Halichondriidae cluster with Suberitidae, supporting previous 28S rDNA data. Chelae-bearing Poecilosclerida are monophyletic but most taxa lacking chelae in this dataset cluster more distantly. Haplosclerida are not resolved monophyletically under this fragment. While some species exhibit distinct barcodes, some genera contain species that share CO1 haplotypes.
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Affinities of the family Sollasellidae (Porifera, Demospongiae). II. Molecular evidence
Contributions to Zoology, 2007Co-Authors: Dirk Erpenbeck, John N. A. Hooper, Sue E. List-armitage, Bernard M. Degnan, Gert Wörheide, Rob W. M. Van SoestAbstract:This is the second part of a revision and re-classification of the demosponge family Sollasellidae, and an example of a successful use of combined morphological and molecular data. Sollasella had been a poorly known, long forgotten taxon, placed incertae sedis in the order Hadromerida in the last major revision of the demosponges. It has recently been suggested to belong to Raspailiidae in the order Poecilosclerida due to striking morphological similarities. The present analysis verified this re-classification using molecular markers. Comparing 28S rDNA fragments of Sollasella cervicornis, a newly described species S. moretonensis and a representative set of raspailiid and hadromerid samples. In our analyses Sollasella clearly clusters inside the Raspailiidae clade, and distantly from hadromerid taxa. Supporting morphological hypothesis of Van Soest et al. (2006), that Sollasella is a raspailiid sponge.
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Affinities of the family Sollasellidae (Porifera, Demospongiae). I. Morphological evidence
Contributions to Zoology, 2006Co-Authors: Rob W. M. Van Soest, John N. A. Hooper, E.j. Beglinger, Dirk ErpenbeckAbstract:Comparison of Sollasella digitata Lendenfeld, 1888, up until the present assigned to its own family Sollasellidae Lendenfeld, 1887 in the order Hadromerida, and Raspailopsis cervicornis Burton, 1959, assigned to Raspailiidae Nardo, 1833 in the order Poecilosclerida, leads to the conclusion that both should be considered congeneric and are best assigned to a single genus Sollasella. This conclusion is based on examination of habit and skeletal characters of the type material of S. digitata and both type and freshly collected material of S. cervicornis. The conclusion is strengthened by the discovery of a new species, Sollasella moretonensis n.sp. collected in North Australia (primarily in the northeastern coast, but also an isolated record from the northwestern Australian coast), which possesses in addition to the characteristic surface pattern and skeletal structure, genuine echinating acanthostyles. The redefined genus Sollasella shares axial / extra-axial arrangement of the skeleton, special surface brushes of oxeas surrounding a single protruding style, and vestigial occurrence of acanthostyles with many Raspailia s.l. Nevertheless, it is retained as a separate genus, on account of its peculiar polygonal arrangement of surface pores. The distribution of the genus is disjunctive including both (southeast, northeast and northwest) Australian and Western Indian Ocean localities, but so far no intermediate records. Based on this morphological evidence, it is proposed – pending publication of corroborating molecular evidence to be presented in a follow-up study – to reassign Sollasella and the family Sollasellidae to the poecilosclerid family Raspailiidae.
Gisele Lôbo-hajdu - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Mycalina: Another Crack in the Poecilosclerida Framework
Integrative and Comparative Biology, 2013Co-Authors: Eduardo Hajdu, Thiago S. De Paula, Niamh E. Redmond, Bruno Cosme, Allen Gilbert Collins, Gisele Lôbo-hajduAbstract:National Systematics Laboratory of NOAA Fisheries Service and Department of Invertebrate Zoology, National Museumof Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., 20560, USAFrom the symposium ‘‘Assembling the Poriferan Tree of Life’’ presented at the annual meeting of the Society forIntegrative and Comparative Biology, January 3–7, 2013 at San Francisco, California.
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Mycalina: another crack in the Poecilosclerida framework.
Integrative and comparative biology, 2013Co-Authors: Eduardo Hajdu, Thiago S. De Paula, Niamh E. Redmond, Bruno Cosme, Allen Gilbert Collins, Gisele Lôbo-hajduAbstract:This is the first phylogenetic analysis integrating both morphological and molecular data of the sponge suborder Mycalina (Poecilosclerida), which was erected in 1994. A cladistic analysis of morphology supported the monophyly of Cladorhizidae (including Euchelipluma), Guitarridae (excluding Euchelipluma), Isodictyidae, Latrunculiidae, and Podospongiidae but rejected monophyly for Desmacellidae, Esperiopsidae, Hamacanthidae, and Mycalidae. Analyses of partial 16S and partial 28S rRNA datasets combined, as well as that of a complete 18S rDNA dataset, suggest that Mycalina is not monophyletic; Biemnidae is only distantly related to other poecilosclerids; Merlia and Desmacella branch near the base of a diverse Poecilosclerida clade; Mycalidae is monophyletic (excluding Mycale [Anomomycale] titubans in 18S); and Esperiopsidae and Isodictyidae form a clade. Analyses of the two molecular datasets differed on the monophyly of Podospongiidae and about the relationship of Podospongiidae to Isodictyidae + Esperiopsidae.
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Family Isodictyidae Dendy, 1924
Systema Porifera, 2002Co-Authors: Eduardo Hajdu, Gisele Lôbo-hajduAbstract:Isodictyidae Dendy, (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida) contains two genera, Coelocarteria and Isodictya,allocated to suborder Mycalina. Ichnodonax is considered a junior synonym of Coelocarteria. Cercidochela, Homoeodictya, Neoesperiopsis, Textiliforma and Valentis are considered junior synonyms of Isodictya.
Dirk Erpenbeck - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Molecular phylogeny of Abyssocladia (Cladorhizidae: Poecilosclerida) and Phelloderma (Phellodermidae: Poecilosclerida) suggests a diversification of chelae microscleres in cladorhizid sponges
Zoologica Scripta, 2012Co-Authors: Sergio Vargas, Dirk Erpenbeck, John N. A. Hooper, Dorte Janussen, Christian Göcke, Kathryn A. Hall, Gert WörheideAbstract:Vargas, S., Erpenbeck, D., Gocke, C., Hall, K. A., Hooper, J. N. A., Janussen, D. & Worheide, G. (2012) Molecular phylogeny of Abyssocladia (Cladorhizidae: Poecilosclerida) and Phelloderma (Phellodermidae: Poecilosclerida) suggests a diversification of chelae microscleres in cladorhizid sponges. Zoologica Scripta, 42, 106116. The taxonomic placement of Abyssocladia Levi, 1964 (Poecilosclerida) is controversial, having been assigned at various times to three different families (Mycalidae, Cladorhizidae and Phellodermidae) in two different suborders (Mycalina and Myxillina, respectively), since its inception in 1964. It shares the general body plan with the carnivorous sponge family Cladorhizidae (Mycalina), including the lack of an aquiferous system. Nevertheless, it also has chela spicules apparently identical to those in PhellodermaRidley & Dendy 1886 (Phellodermidae, Myxillina). The ongoing debate on the position of Abyssocladia ultimately reduces to a discussion on the use of chelae morphology to infer phylogenetic relationships within Poecilosclerida. Here, we infer the phylogenetic relationships of the genera Phelloderma and Abyssocladia using two independent molecular markers (28S rDNA and COI), showing that Abyssocladia is not closely related to Phelloderma and belongs in Cladorhizidae. We suggest that despite their complexity, chelae morphology can evolve independently in different poecilosclerid lineages and as such might be potentially misleading as indicator of the phylogenetic history of the group. We also provide the first phylogenetic analysis of the carnivorous sponge family Cladorhizidae and give first insights into the evolution of this feeding mode in Poecilosclerida and, more generally, in Porifera.
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congruence between nuclear and mitochondrial genes in demospongiae a new hypothesis for relationships within the g4 clade porifera demospongiae
Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 2012Co-Authors: Christine Morrow, Dirk Erpenbeck, Bernard Picton, Nicole Bouryesnault, Christine A Maggs, A L AllcockAbstract:The current morphological classification of the Demospongiae G4 clade was tested using large subunit ribosomal RNA (LSU rRNA) sequences from 119 taxa. Fifty-three mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase 1 (CO1) barcoding sequences were also analysed to test whether the 28S phylogeny could be recovered using an independent gene. This is the largest and most comprehensive study of the Demospongiae G4 clade. The 28S and CO1 genetrees result in congruent clades but conflict with the current morphological classification. The results confirm the polyphyly of Halichondrida, Hadromerida, Dictyonellidae, Axinellidae and Poecilosclerida and show that several of the characters used in morphological classifications are homoplasious. Robust clades are clearly shown and a new hypothesis for relationships of taxa allocated to G4 is proposed.
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Towards a DNA taxonomy of Caribbean demosponges: a gene tree reconstructed from partial mitochondrial CO1 gene sequences supports previous rDNA phylogenies and provides a new perspective on the systematics of Demospongiae
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 2007Co-Authors: Dirk Erpenbeck, John N. A. Hooper, Sandra Duran, Klaus Rützler, Valerie J. Paul, Gert WörheideAbstract:We present the most comprehensive cytochrome oxidase subunit 1 gene tree published to date for demosponges based on new sequences. The CO1 barcoding fragment is sequenced for 65 species from the Caribbean Sea, and its gene tree reconstructed. Although its deeper nodes are not particularly well-supported, the gene tree provides a variety of information for new phylogenetic patterns, as well as support for previously published 28S rDNA gene trees. In our analysis Halichondriidae cluster with Suberitidae, supporting previous 28S rDNA data. Chelae-bearing Poecilosclerida are monophyletic but most taxa lacking chelae in this dataset cluster more distantly. Haplosclerida are not resolved monophyletically under this fragment. While some species exhibit distinct barcodes, some genera contain species that share CO1 haplotypes.
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Affinities of the family Sollasellidae (Porifera, Demospongiae). II. Molecular evidence
Contributions to Zoology, 2007Co-Authors: Dirk Erpenbeck, John N. A. Hooper, Sue E. List-armitage, Bernard M. Degnan, Gert Wörheide, Rob W. M. Van SoestAbstract:This is the second part of a revision and re-classification of the demosponge family Sollasellidae, and an example of a successful use of combined morphological and molecular data. Sollasella had been a poorly known, long forgotten taxon, placed incertae sedis in the order Hadromerida in the last major revision of the demosponges. It has recently been suggested to belong to Raspailiidae in the order Poecilosclerida due to striking morphological similarities. The present analysis verified this re-classification using molecular markers. Comparing 28S rDNA fragments of Sollasella cervicornis, a newly described species S. moretonensis and a representative set of raspailiid and hadromerid samples. In our analyses Sollasella clearly clusters inside the Raspailiidae clade, and distantly from hadromerid taxa. Supporting morphological hypothesis of Van Soest et al. (2006), that Sollasella is a raspailiid sponge.
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Affinities of the family Sollasellidae (Porifera, Demospongiae). I. Morphological evidence
Contributions to Zoology, 2006Co-Authors: Rob W. M. Van Soest, John N. A. Hooper, E.j. Beglinger, Dirk ErpenbeckAbstract:Comparison of Sollasella digitata Lendenfeld, 1888, up until the present assigned to its own family Sollasellidae Lendenfeld, 1887 in the order Hadromerida, and Raspailopsis cervicornis Burton, 1959, assigned to Raspailiidae Nardo, 1833 in the order Poecilosclerida, leads to the conclusion that both should be considered congeneric and are best assigned to a single genus Sollasella. This conclusion is based on examination of habit and skeletal characters of the type material of S. digitata and both type and freshly collected material of S. cervicornis. The conclusion is strengthened by the discovery of a new species, Sollasella moretonensis n.sp. collected in North Australia (primarily in the northeastern coast, but also an isolated record from the northwestern Australian coast), which possesses in addition to the characteristic surface pattern and skeletal structure, genuine echinating acanthostyles. The redefined genus Sollasella shares axial / extra-axial arrangement of the skeleton, special surface brushes of oxeas surrounding a single protruding style, and vestigial occurrence of acanthostyles with many Raspailia s.l. Nevertheless, it is retained as a separate genus, on account of its peculiar polygonal arrangement of surface pores. The distribution of the genus is disjunctive including both (southeast, northeast and northwest) Australian and Western Indian Ocean localities, but so far no intermediate records. Based on this morphological evidence, it is proposed – pending publication of corroborating molecular evidence to be presented in a follow-up study – to reassign Sollasella and the family Sollasellidae to the poecilosclerid family Raspailiidae.