A new fistulose demosponge species from the Persian Gulf

Abstract

During a scientific expedition to the Palinurus Rock, Persian Gulf, Iraq, a reef, which was discovered first in 2012, we found a new species which we tentatively assigned to Ciocalypta (Porifera, Demospongiae, Suberitida, Halichondriidae). Genetic results from different authors (Morrow & Cardenas, 2015, Redmond et al., 2013, Erpenbeck et al., 2012) suggest that several species of Ciocalypta and other species from Suberitida (e.g. several Axinyssa, Petromica, Topsentia, Cymbastela, Halichondria (Eumastia)) are indeed no Suberitida but belong to taxa yet unnamed. The species described here genetically clearly belongs to this new taxon outside Suberitida which awaits definition. Morphologically the new species clearly would be classified as Ciocalypta. Therefore the new species is described and compared to similar morphological species, some of them, as the type species, true Suberitida and true Ciocalypta, others belong to taxa still in need of a name.

A Soft Spot for Chemistry–Current Taxonomic and Evolutionary Implications of Sponge Secondary Metabolite Distribution

“…The evaluation of the current status and distribution of secondary metabolites from sponges is based on the approach of Erpenbeck and van Soest [ 46 ] (obtained from the MarinLit database and data from van Soest and Braekman [ 45 ]) and subsequently expanded upon it with data from the annually released review of Marine Natural Products, e.g., from 2005 to 2017 [ 31 , 32 ], as well as additional singular publications. Metabolites were separated into major chemical compound categories and plotted against a combined molecular phylogenetic consensus tree for all sponge classes based on some of the latest studies available for the different sponge taxa ( Figure 1 ), e.g., [ 61 , 62 , 63 , 64 , 65 , 66 , 67 ]. Compound groups commonly known for production by microorganisms were generally disregarded due to frequent symbioses with a plethora of different sponge species, unless host specificity could be verified with sufficient reliability.…”

“…The classification of the genera from the current orders Agelasida, Axinellida, Bubarida, and Suberitida experienced a major turmoil in the last couple of years when molecular data revealed eminent shortcomings in the traditional (morphological) classification due to the lack of unambiguous morphological discriminatory apomorphies (see Erpenbeck, Hall et al [ 62 ] and Wörheide et al [ 47 ] for an overview). Still, the position of many taxa in the current classification [ 60 ] awaits robust molecular support, while several genera have subsequently been recovered as polyphyletic, e.g., [ 63 , 64 ]. The uncertain classification complicates estimation of the taxonomic range of metabolites from the literature alone.…”

“…Subsequently, Morrow et al [ 65 ] classified some of the divergent Axinella and Stylissa species into a new family Hymerhabdiidae inside a re-defined order Agalasida. The production of P-2-AI in Cymbastela cantharella [ 123 ] and Prosuberites laughlini [ 124 ] is subsequently reflected by their molecular phylogenetic position in this clade, e.g., [ 63 , 64 , 65 ]. This Agelasida sensu Morrow et al [ 65 ] clade is further corroborated by additional recent biochemical reports of P-2-AIs, e.g., [ 125 , 126 , 127 , 128 ], as well as molecular phylogenetic studies [ 67 ].…”

“…Bubarida is a recently erected order consisting of primarily suberitid and axinellid taxa [ 60 ] that were molecularly found distant to currently accepted Suberitida or Axinellida, e.g., [ 62 , 67 ]. Polyphyly of several species and the lack of unambiguous molecular data from type species currently hamper genus delimitations, e.g., [ 48 , 64 ].…”

New Record of Pleurobrachia Pileus (O. F. Müller, 1776) (Ctenophora, Cydippida) From Coral Reef, Iraqi Marine Waters

“…The aim of this study is to present the first record of this species in the unique coral reef (Palinurus Rock) which was recently discovered in 2012 in the Iraqi coastal waters (Pohl et al, 2014;Ahmed and Ali, 2017;Ali et al, 2017;Gutekunst et al, 2018) and also lay light on its role in the ecosystem.…”