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Researchers working with freshwater sponges are faced with old, unresolved issues and fragmented knowledge. In the present study, a systematic search of the studies on continental sponges, from the 21 st century, was carried out to identify trends and gaps in this restricted area of knowledge, using the scientific productions available on the Web of Science. The publication of scientific papers involving studies with freshwater sponges has increased over the years, with a decline in the last two years (2016-2017). The focus of the Brazilian studies included taxonomy and ecology, while Russian researchers contributed with knowledge about the genetic, phylogenetic and molecular biology of endemic sponges of the region. Eight sub disciplines were identified: Biochemistry and