New records of Chondrilla australiensis and Chondrilla grandistellata (Demospongiae: Chondrosida: Chondrillidae) from Havelock Island, South Andaman, India

Abstract

<p>The genus <em>Chondrilla</em> is reported from the Andaman group of Islands off Havelock Island for the first time, with two species, <em>C. grandistellata</em> and <em>C. australiensis</em> in this study. This genus has previously been reported and represented by four species in Indian waters viz., <em>Chondrilla mixta, C. sacciformis, C. kilakaria </em>and<em> C. australiensis.</em> <em>C. australiensis</em> is light brown to reddish-brown in colour; encrusts primarily on live boulder corals; contains oxyasters measuring 14.8-(18.5)-22.2 µm and spherasters measuring 17.3-(26)-29.7 µm. <em>C. grandistellata</em> is tan or brown in colour with unevenly distributed white speckles; Contains large spherasters that measure 106.3-(143.3)-175.6 µm. In this study it is suggested that <em>C. sacciformis</em> specimens reported previously from India may be <em>C. grandistellata</em>; this probable conspecificity is also discussed. </p><div> </div>

First Molecular Identification of Symbiotic Archaea in a Sponge Collected from the Persian Gulf, Iran

“…This is the first report of the presence of the genus of Chondrilla in the Persian Gulf. Different studies have considered Chondrilla as one of the most distributed genera with about 17 species at different geographical locations [ 19 , 25 - 29 ]. This genus is characterized based on the presence of siliceous spicules of the aster type alone, abounding with the cortex and surrounding the canals.…”

“…This finding is in accordance with the morphological features of the studied sponge, here. Traditional taxonomy methods, when used along with DNA barcoding or other molecular techniques, may play an important role in the accurate taxonomy of sponges with very few phenotypical variations [ 29 ].…”