Taxonomic position of Eunapius subterraneus (Porifera, Spongillidae) inferred from molecular data – A revised classification needed?

Insights into the evolution of freshwater sponges (Porifera: Demospongiae: Spongillina): Barcoding and phylogenetic data from Lake Tanganyika endemics indicate multiple invasions and unsettle existing taxonomy

“…This makes it doubtful that there is a close phylogenetic relationship among malawispongiid genera restricted to hydrologically separated tectonic lakes in Africa, Europe and Asia, despite the antiquity of these water bodies. Meixner et al (2007) showed that several genera were more closely related to members of Spongillidae than to their own presumed confamilials, which is also evident in the molecular analysis we present here (see also the remarks of Harcet et al (2010) on this topic).…”

“…Similarly, Oncosclera (Haplotype 3) and the Haplotype 2 specimens form a clade with E. brichardi (plus Potamolepis in ITS2) (Potamolepidae, Itskovich et al, 2006), which are endemic to Lake Tanganyika and which again is sister to a clade to spongillids (and malawispongiids in CO1). This underscores the non-monophyly of the nominal and widespread freshwater sponge family Spongillidae and supports earlier speculations that several endemic freshwater lineages arose from members of this family (discussed in Meixner et al, 2007, see also Addis and Peterson, 2005;Harcet et al, 2010;Itskovich et al, 1999;Redmond et al, 2007). Spongillidae currently consists of 23 valid genera (Van Soest et al, 2011), making it one of the most genus-rich families within the class Demospongiae.…”

Phylogenetic Relationships of the Marine Haplosclerida (Phylum Porifera) Employing Ribosomal (28S rRNA) and Mitochondrial (cox1, nad1) Gene Sequence Data

“…Eunapius sp. (DQ167181) and E. subterraneous (FJ715439) (from Hess et al (Direct submission in GenBank) and Harcet et al [49] respectively) and all four sequences from X. muta (EF519699) [47], N. proxima (AM076980) [50], X. bergquistia A & B and Petrosia sp. G (this study).…”

The number of endemic species of freshwater sponges (Malawispongiidae; Spongillina; Porifera) from Lake Kinneret is overestimated

“…More recent molecular genetic studies of Eunapius subterraneus indicate that gemmular traits are not as universally informative as previously thought (Harcet et al. ), which together with other data suggest that the taxonomy of freshwater sponges needs urgent revision.…”

“…Endemic sponges in ancient lakes are derived from different founder species (Meixner et al 2007), and recent autochthonous radiation of sponge species in Lake Baikal was indicated (Itskovich et al 2008). More recent molecular genetic studies of Eunapius subterraneus indicate that gemmular traits are not as universally informative as previously thought (Harcet et al 2010), which together with other data suggest that the taxonomy of freshwater sponges needs urgent revision.…”