Zootaxa, Porifera, Haplosclerida

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Zootaxa 963: 1–22 (2005) ISSN 1175-5326 (print edition) www.mapress.com/zootaxa/ ZOOTAXA 963 Copyright © 2005 Magnolia Press ISSN 1175-5334 (online edition) Haplosclerida (Porifera: Demospongiae) from the coast of Maranhão State, Brazil, Southwestern Atlantic MAURÍCIO CAMPOS1, 3, BEATRIZ MOTHES1, 2, RAFAEL ECKERT1 & ROB W. M. VAN SOEST4 1Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul, Museu de Ciências Naturais. Av. Salvador França, 1427, Zip Code 90690-000, Porto Alegre, RS, Brazil. E-mail: [email protected]. 2Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico - CNPq (Brazil). 3Programa de Pós Graduação Biologia Animal, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul. 4Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (Zoölogisch Museum), University of Amsterdam. P.O. Box 94766, 1090 GT Amsterdam, Netherlands. Abstract This work deals with haplosclerid sponges off the coast of Maranhão State, northeastern coast of Brazilian shelf (southwestern Atlantic). A new species is described, Haliclona (Halichoclona) lern- erae. Four species are recorded for the first time for the Brazilian coast: Amphimedon caribica (Pulitzer-Finali, 1986); Niphates lutea Lehnert & Van Soest, 1999; Neopetrosia subtriangularis (Duchassaing, 1850) and Petrosia (Petrosia) weinbergi Van Soest, 1980. Three species were recol- lected from the southwestern Atlantic and have their geographic distribution extended on the Bra- zilian coast: Callyspongia (Cladochalina) vaginalis (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864), Oceanapia bartschi (De Laubenfels, 1934) and Xestospongia muta (Schmidt, 1870). Two species were collected for the first time from the Maranhão State Coast: Niphates erecta Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 and Neopetrosia proxima (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864). A taxonomic study of those samples is given, including description, illustrations and geographic distribution. Key words: Porifera, Haplosclerida, Maranhão State, Brazil, Taxonomy Introduction Knowledge of the haplosclerid sponge fauna from the north-northeast coast of Brazil (Amapá to Maranhão coast) is limited to a few records. The only haplosclerids registered were recorded by Collette & Rützler (1977), based on material collected by the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration R/V Oregon II on May, 1975, off the mouth of the Amazon river (01º42’N / 47º24’W–00º33’N / 46º19’W, 62–70 m depths), Accepted by J. Hooper: 13 Apr. 2005; published: 29 Apr. 2005 1.

Copy Link

Recommended publications

Taxonomy and Diversity of the Sponge Fauna from Walters Shoal, a Shallow Seamount in the Western Indian Ocean Region
Taxonomy and diversity of the sponge fauna from Walters Shoal, a shallow seamount in the Western Indian Ocean region By Robyn Pauline Payne A thesis submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Magister Scientiae in the Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape. Supervisors: Dr Toufiek Samaai Prof. Mark J. Gibbons Dr Wayne K. Florence The financial assistance of the National Research Foundation (NRF) towards this research is hereby acknowledged. Opinions expressed and conclusions arrived at, are those of the author and are not necessarily to be attributed to the NRF. December 2015 Taxonomy and diversity of the sponge fauna from Walters Shoal, a shallow seamount in the Western Indian Ocean region Robyn Pauline Payne Keywords Indian Ocean Seamount Walters Shoal Sponges Taxonomy Systematics Diversity Biogeography ii Abstract Taxonomy and diversity of the sponge fauna from Walters Shoal, a shallow seamount in the Western Indian Ocean region R. P. Payne MSc Thesis, Department of Biodiversity and Conservation Biology, University of the Western Cape. Seamounts are poorly understood ubiquitous undersea features, with less than 4% sampled for scientific purposes globally. Consequently, the fauna associated with seamounts in the Indian Ocean remains largely unknown, with less than 300 species recorded. One such feature within this region is Walters Shoal, a shallow seamount located on the South Madagascar Ridge, which is situated approximately 400 nautical miles south of Madagascar and 600 nautical miles east of South Africa. Even though it penetrates the euphotic zone (summit is 15 m below the sea surface) and is protected by the Southern Indian Ocean Deep- Sea Fishers Association, there is a paucity of biodiversity and oceanographic data.
[Show full text]
Chemical and Bioactive Diversities of Marine Sponge Neopetrosia Mini
A Journal of the Bangladesh Pharmacological Society (BDPS) Bangladesh J Pharmacol 2016; 11: 433-452 Journal homepage: www.banglajol.info Abstracted/indexed in Academic Search Complete, Asia Journals Online, Bangladesh Journals Online, Biological Abstracts, BIOSIS Previews, CAB Abstracts, Current Abstracts, Directory of Open Access Journals, EMBASE/Excerpta Medica, Google Scholar, HINARI (WHO), International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, Open J-gate, Science Citation Index Expanded, SCOPUS and Social Sciences Citation Index; ISSN: 1991-0088 review - Chemical and bioactive diversities of marine sponge Neopetrosia Mini Haitham Qaralleh Department of Medical Support, Al-Balqa Applied University, Al-Karak University College, Al-Karak, Jordan. Article Info Abstract Received: 26 January 2016 The marine sponge Neopetrosia contains about 27 species that is highly Accepted: 21 March 2016 distributed in Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean Sea) and Pacific Available Online: 3 April 2016 Ocean. It has proven to be valuable to the discovery of medicinal products DOI: 10.3329/bjp.v11i2.26611 due to the presence of various types of compounds with variable bio- activities. More than 85 compounds including alkaloids, quinones, sterols and terpenoids were isolated from this genus. Moreover, the crude extracts and Cite this article: the isolated compounds revealed activities such as antimicrobial, anti-fouling, Qaralleh H. Chemical and bioactive anti-HIV, cytotoxic, anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, anti-protozoal, anti-inflamma- diversities of the marine sponge Neo- tory. Because only 9 out of 27 species of the genus Neopetrosia have been petrosia. Bangladesh J Pharmacol. chemically studied thus far, there are signiﬁcant opportunities to ﬁnd out new 2016; 11: 433-52. chemical constituents from this genus.
[Show full text]
Two New Haplosclerid Sponges from Caribbean Panama with Symbiotic Filamentous Cyanobacteria, and an Overview of Sponge-Cyanobacteria Associations
PORIFERA RESEARCH: BIODIVERSITY, INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY - 2007 31 Two new haplosclerid sponges from Caribbean Panama with symbiotic filamentous cyanobacteria, and an overview of sponge-cyanobacteria associations Maria Cristina Diaz'12*>, Robert W. Thacker<3), Klaus Rutzler(1), Carla Piantoni(1) (1) Invertebrate Zoology, National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560-0163, USA. [email protected] (2) Museo Marino de Margarita, Blvd. El Paseo, Boca del Rio, Margarita, Edo. Nueva Esparta, Venezuela. [email protected] <3) Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-1170, USA. [email protected] Abstract: Two new species of the order Haplosclerida from open reef and mangrove habitats in the Bocas del Toro region (Panama) have an encrusting growth form (a few mm thick), grow copiously on shallow reef environments, and are of dark purple color from dense populations of the cyanobacterial symbiont Oscillatoria spongeliae. Haliclona (Soestella) walentinae sp. nov. (Chalinidae) is dark purple outside and tan inside, and can be distinguished by its small oscules with radial, transparent canals. The interior is tan, while the consistency is soft and elastic. The species thrives on some shallow reefs, profusely overgrowing fire corals (Millepora spp.), soft corals, scleractinians, and coral rubble. Xestospongia bocatorensis sp. nov. (Petrosiidae) is dark purple, inside and outside, and its oscules are on top of small, volcano-shaped mounds and lack radial canals. The sponge is crumbly and brittle. It is found on live coral and coral rubble on reefs, and occasionally on mangrove roots. The two species have three characteristics that make them unique among the families Chalinidae and Petrosiidae: filamentous, multicellular cyanobacterial symbionts rather than unicellular species; high propensity to overgrow other reef organisms and, because of their symbionts, high rate of photosynthetic production.
[Show full text]
The Making of a Photosynthetic Animal
303 The Journal of Experimental Biology 214, 303-311 © 2011. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd doi:10.1242/jeb.046540 The making of a photosynthetic animal Mary E. Rumpho1,*, Karen N. Pelletreau1, Ahmed Moustafa2 and Debashish Bhattacharya3 1Department of Molecular and Biomedical Sciences, 5735 Hitchner Hall, University of Maine, Orono, ME 04469, USA, 2Department of Biology and Graduate Program in Biotechnology, American University in Cairo, New Cairo 11835, Egypt and 3Department of Ecology, Evolution and Natural Resources, Institute of Marine and Coastal Sciences, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, NJ 08901, USA *Author for correspondence ([email protected]) Accepted 6 August 2010 Summary Symbiotic animals containing green photobionts challenge the common perception that only plants are capable of capturing the sun’s rays and converting them into biological energy through photoautotrophic CO2 fixation (photosynthesis). ‘Solar-powered’ sacoglossan molluscs, or sea slugs, have taken this type of symbiotic association one step further by solely harboring the photosynthetic organelle, the plastid (chloroplast). One such sea slug, Elysia chlorotica, lives as a ‘plant’ when provided with only light and air as a result of acquiring plastids during feeding on its algal prey Vaucheria litorea. The captured plastids (kleptoplasts) are retained intracellularly in cells lining the digestive diverticula of the sea slug, a phenomenon sometimes referred to as kleptoplasty. Photosynthesis by the plastids provides E. chlorotica with energy and fixed carbon for its entire lifespan of ~10months. The plastids are not transmitted vertically (i.e. are absent in eggs) and do not undergo division in the sea slug. However, de novo protein synthesis continues, including plastid- and nuclear-encoded plastid-targeted proteins, despite the apparent absence of algal nuclei.
[Show full text]
Genetic Diversity of Selected Petrosiid Sponges
Genetic diversity of selected petrosiid sponges Dissertation zur Erlangung des Doktorgrades der Fakültat für Geowissenschaften der Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München vorgelegt von Edwin Setiawan Aus Surakarta, Indonesien München, 10. September 2014 Betreuer : Prof. Dr. Gert Wörheide Zweigutachter : PD Dr. Dirk Erpenbeck Datum der mündlichen Prüfung : 20.10.2015 Acknowledgements Acknowledgements This project was financed by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) through their PhD scholarship programme, and by the Naturalis Biodiversity Center Leiden (The Netherlands) through their Martin Fellowship programme. In addition, the project received financial support from Prof Dr. Gert Wörheide of the Molecular Palaeobiology Lab of the LMU in Munich. I would like to express my sincere gratitude for their generous support. Also, I would like to thank the following colleagues from my host institute in Indonesia, the Sepuluh November Institute of Technology in Surabaya: Dian Saptarini, Maya Shovitri, Tutik Nurhidayati, Eny Zulaikha, Dewi Hidayati, Awik Pudji Diah Nurhayati, Nurlita Abdulgani and Farid Kamal Muzaki. Furthermore, I would like to thank the employees of several Indonesian education and research institutions, especially Thomas Triadi Putranto from the Geology Department Diponegoro University in Semarang, Indar Sugiarto from the Electrical Engineering Department at the Petra Christian University in Surabaya, the head and staff of Karimun Jawa National Park in Semarang, Buharianto from the Slolop Dive Centre in Pasir Putih Beach in Situbondo. Also, I would like to thank Jean- Francois Flot from the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organisation in Göttingen (Germany), John Hooper, and Merrick Ekins (Queensland Museum, Brisbane, Australia). I am equally thankful to everyone who has contributed to my fieldwork and helped me to complete my thesis.
[Show full text]
Documentation of Three Sponge Species Belong to the Family of Petrosiidae
Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences, 5(12): 1047-1053, 2011 ISSN 1991-8178 Documentation of Three Sponge Species Belong to the Family of Petrosiidae 1Haitham Qaralleh, 1Syed Z. Idid, 2Shahbudin Saad, 1Deny Susanti, 3Basma Mustafa 1Department of Biomedical Science, Faculty of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia, Jalan Istana, 25200 Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia. 2Institute of Oceanography and Maritime Studies, Faculty of Science, International Islamic University Malaysia, Jalan Istana, 25200 Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia. 3Faculty of dentistry, International Islamic University Malaysia, Jalan Istana, 25200 Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia. Abstract: Taxonomic identification of organisms is the first and the most critical step in any research involving organisms. Four marine sponges collected from two different sites were identified based on their morphology, skeleton, and spicules characteristics. The description of each species was compared with the source description of sponges to identify the species. One of the sponge species investigated was identified as Neopetrosia exigua and two species were found to be Xestospongia testudinaria. Final identification of the species was assigned by experts. This simple identification may be useful to non-specialists as it is based on external or internal morphological characteristics. Key words: Sponge identification; Neopetrosia exigua, Xestospongia testudinaria INTRODUCTION The seas surrounding Malaysia are one of the largest areas in the tropical region that contain an exceptionally high diversity of sponges and corals. The documentation of the marine organisms, especially in the Indomalayan region, is still the major task in modern biology (Lim et al., 2009). More than 1500 sponge species have been reported from Southeast Asia (Hooper et al., 2000). The numbers are growing and many new species are being discovered every year.
[Show full text]
Secondary Metabolites from the Marine Sponges of the Genus Petrosia: a Literature Review of 43 Years of Research
marine drugs Review Secondary Metabolites from the Marine Sponges of the Genus Petrosia: A Literature Review of 43 Years of Research Yeon-Ju Lee 1,2,* , Yeonwoo Cho 1,2 and Huynh Nguyen Khanh Tran 1 1 Marine Natural Products Chemistry Laboratory, Korea Institute of Ocean Science and Technology, 385 Haeyangro, Busan 49111, Korea; [email protected] (Y.C.); [email protected] (H.N.K.T.) 2 Department of Applied Ocean Science, University of Science and Technology, Daejeon 34113, Korea * Correspondence: [email protected]; Tel.: +82-51-664-3350 Abstract: Sponges are proliﬁc sources of various natural products that have provided the chemical scaffolds for new drugs. The sponges of the genus Petrosia inhabit various regions and contain a variety of biologically active natural products such as polyacetylenes, sterols, meroterpenoids, and alkaloids. This review aims to provide a comprehensive summary of the chemical structures and biological activities of Petrosia metabolites covering a period of more than four decades (between 1978 and 2020). It is also described in this review that the major groups of metabolites from members of the genus Petrosia differed with latitude. The polyacetylenes were identiﬁed to be the most predominant metabolites in Petrosia sponges in temperate regions, while tropical Petrosia species were sources of a greater variety of metabolites, such as meroterpenoids, sterols, polyacetylenes, and alkaloids. Keywords: Petrosia; metabolite; geography; polyacetylene; sponge Citation: Lee, Y.-J.; Cho, Y.; Tran, H.N.K. Secondary Metabolites from 1. Introduction the Marine Sponges of the Genus The oceans represent the largest habitat on earth and contain organisms with high bio- Petrosia: A Literature Review of 43 logical and chemical diversity.
[Show full text]
Phylogenetic Relationships Among the Filamentous Cyanobacterial Symbionts of Caribbean Sponges and a Comparison of Photosyntheti
PORIFERA RESEARCH: BIODIVERSITY, INNOVATION AND SUSTAINABILITY - 2007 621 Phylogenetic relationships among the filamentous cyanobacterial symbionts of Caribbean sponges and a comparison of photosynthetic production between sponges hosting filamentous and unicellular cyanobacteria Robert W. Thacker(1*), Maria Cristina Diaz(2), Klaus Rützler(3), Patrick M. Erwin(1), Steven J.A. Kimble(1), Melissa J. Pierce(1), Sandra L. Dillard(1) (1) Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294-1170, USA. [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] (2) Museo Marino de Margarita, Blvd. El Paseo, Boca del Río, Margarita, Edo. Nueva Esparta, Venezuela. [email protected] (3) National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C. 20560-0163, USA. [email protected] Abstract: We investigated the filamentous cyanobacteria associated with two newly described species from the Caribbean coast of Panamá, Haliclona walentinae and Xestospongia bocatorensis. In addition to sequencing cyanobacterial 16S ribosomal RNA genes from Hyrtios violaceus, H. walentinae and X. bocatorensis, we measured the chlorophyll a content of H. walentinae and X. bocatorensis as an index of symbiont abundance. The photosynthetic and respiration rates of these two associations were compared to those of two sympatric sponges that host unicellular cyanobacteria, Aplysina fulva and Neopetrosia subtriangularis. A phylogeny of 16S ribosomal RNA genes reveals that the symbionts of H. violaceus, H. walentinae and X. bocatorensis are part of the O. spongeliae clade and that each sponge hosts a unique ribotype of this cyanobacterium. H. walentinae yielded the highest chlorophyll a concentrations, while X. bocatorensis, A.
[Show full text]
Does the Chemical Diversity of the Order Haplosclerida (Phylum Porifera: Class Demospongia) Fit with Current Taxonomic Classification?
Provided by the author(s) and NUI Galway in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite the published version when available. Does the chemical diversity of the Order Haplosclerida Title (Phylum Porifera: Class Demospongia) fit with current taxonomic classification? Author(s) Tribalat, Marie-Aude; Marra, Maria V.; McCormack, Grace P.; Thomas, Olivier P. Publication Date 2016-05-02 Tribalat, Marie-Aude, Marra, Maria V., McCormack, Grace P., Publication & Thomas, Olivier P. (2016). Does the Chemical Diversity of Information the Order Haplosclerida (Phylum Porifera: Class Demospongia) Fit with Current Taxonomic Classification? Planta Med, 82(09/10), 843-856. doi: 10.1055/s-0042-105879 Publisher Georg Thieme Verlag Link to publisher's http://dx.doi.org/10.1055/s-0042-105879 version Item record http://hdl.handle.net/10379/7173 DOI http://dx.doi.org/10.1055/s-0042-105879 Downloaded 2021-09-25T14:57:39Z Some rights reserved. For more information, please see the item record link above. Reviews Does the Chemical Diversity of the Order Haplosclerida (Phylum Porifera: Class Demospongia) Fit with Current Taxonomic Classification? Authors Marie-Aude Tribalat 1, Maria V. Marra2, Grace P. McCormack 2, Olivier P. Thomas1, 3 Affiliations 1 Géoazur UMR Université Nice Sophia Antipolis-CNRS‑IRD‑OCA, Valbonne, France 2 National University of Ireland Galway, Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, University Road, Galway, Ireland 3 National University of Ireland Galway, Marine Biodiscovery, School of Chemistry, University Road, Galway, Ireland Key words Abstract help in the revision of this large group of marine l" sponges ! invertebrates. We focus only on 3-alkylpyridine l" Haplosclerida Sponges and their associated microbiota are well derivatives and polyacetylenic compounds, as l" alkaloids known to produce a large diversity of natural these two groups of natural products are charac- l" polyacetylenic products, also called specialized metabolites.
[Show full text]
Marine Ecology Progress Series 362:139
Vol. 362: 139–147, 2008 MARINE ECOLOGY PROGRESS SERIES Published June 30 doi: 10.3354/meps07464 Mar Ecol Prog Ser Phototrophic nutrition and symbiont diversity of two Caribbean sponge–cyanobacteria symbioses Patrick M. Erwin, Robert W. Thacker* University of Alabama at Birmingham, 109 Campbell Hall, 1300 University Boulevard, Birmingham, Alabama 35294-1170, USA ABSTRACT: Coral reef sponges frequently harbor symbiotic cyanobacteria that can potentially ben- efit their hosts by providing supplemental nutrition. Although nutritional mutualisms have been doc- umented for Indo-Pacific sponges, previous investigations suggest that Caribbean sponges obtain no nutritional benefits from their symbionts. We conducted field-based shading experiments to deter- mine the effects of reduced irradiance on symbiont abundance and host growth in the Caribbean coral reef sponges Aplysina fulva and Neopetrosia subtriangularis, both of which host the unicellular cyanobacterium Synechococcus spongiarum. For both host species, 6 wk of shading significantly reduced chlorophyll a concentrations to less than half of those in control sponges. Shaded A. fulva individuals exhibited less than half the growth of control sponges. For N. subtriangularis, no signifi- cant differences in growth rates were observed between shaded and control sponges. Measurements of gross photosynthesis to respiration (P:R) ratios predicted that both host sponges were heterotrophic at low irradiances (<250 µmol m–2 s–1) and phototrophic at high irradiances (>500 µmol m–2 s–1), with measurements obtained at high irradiances likely to be more indicative of natural conditions. Phylo- genetic analyses of cyanobacterial internal transcribed spacer (ITS) ribosomal RNA gene sequences revealed 3 genetically distinct clades of S. spongiarum (designated A, B and C).
[Show full text]
Does the Chemical Diversity of the Order Haplosclerida (Phylum Porifera: Class Demospongia) Fit with Current Taxonomic Classification?
Reviews 843 Does the Chemical Diversity of the Order Haplosclerida (Phylum Porifera: Class Demospongia) Fit with Current Taxonomic Classification? Authors Marie-Aude Tribalat 1, Maria V. Marra2, Grace P. McCormack 2, Olivier P. Thomas1, 3 Affiliations 1 Géoazur UMR Université Nice Sophia Antipolis-CNRS‑IRD‑OCA, Valbonne, France 2 National University of Ireland Galway, Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, University Road, Galway, Ireland 3 National University of Ireland Galway, Marine Biodiscovery, School of Chemistry, University Road, Galway, Ireland Key words Abstract help in the revision of this large group of marine l" sponges ! invertebrates. We focus only on 3-alkylpyridine l" Haplosclerida Sponges and their associated microbiota are well derivatives and polyacetylenic compounds, as l" alkaloids known to produce a large diversity of natural these two groups of natural products are charac- l" polyacetylenic products, also called specialized metabolites. In teristic of haplosclerid species and are highly di- l" chemotaxonomy addition to their potential use in the pharmaceu- verse. A close collaboration between chemists tical industry, these rather species-specific com- and biologists is required in order to fully apply pounds may help in the classification of some par- chemotaxonomical approaches, and whenever ticular sponge groups. We review herein com- possible biological data should include morpho- pounds isolated from haplosclerid sponges (Class logical and molecular data and some insight into Demospongia, Order Haplosclerida) in order to their microbial abundance. Introduction marine natural products, including alkaloids, ! polyacetylenes, or terpene derivatives. This group Sponges (Phylum Porifera) are sessile inverte- is also one of the most diverse of the sponge received Nov. 29, 2015 brates distributed in most aquatic ecosystems.
[Show full text]
Phototactic Responses of Larvae from the Marine Sponges Neopetrosia Proxima and Xestospongia Bocatorensis (Haplosclerida: Petrosiidae)
Invertebrate Biology 129(2): 121–128. r 2010, The Authors Journal compilation r 2010, The American Microscopical Society, Inc. DOI: 10.1111/j.1744-7410.2010.00196.x Phototactic responses of larvae from the marine sponges Neopetrosia proxima and Xestospongia bocatorensis (Haplosclerida: Petrosiidae) Rachel Collin,1 Andrew S. Mobley,2 Linnet Busutil Lopez,3 Sally P. Leys,4 Maria Cristina Diaz,5 and Robert W. Thacker2,a 1 Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Bocas del Toro Research Station, Apartado 0843-03092, Panama 2 Department of Biology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, Alabama 35294, USA 3 Institute of Oceanography, Havana 11600, Cuba 4 Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9 5 Marine Museum of Margarita, Boca del Rı´o, Margarita, Venezuela Abstract. Previous studies suggest that phototaxis in sponge larvae is generated by the bend- ing of a tuft of long posterior cilia (LPC). The photoresponsiveness of these cilia is often assayed by examining their reaction to sudden changes in light intensity. Here, we document and describe the larvae of the tropical marine sponges Neopetrosia proxima and Xestospongia bocatorensis and examine the phototactic behavior of their larvae. Both species brood ovoid, tufted parenchymella larvae, clearly countering an earlier hypothesis that all petrosid sponges are oviparous. Larvae of N. proxima were positively phototactic and settled after 2 d, while larvae of X. bocatorensis were negatively phototactic and settled in as little as 4 h. In both species, LPC quickly responded to changes in the light intensity. When the light intensity is reduced, the larvae of N. proxima fold the cilia inwards immediately without beating, then ﬂare them outwards, beating for a few seconds, and then gradually return to the neutral po- sition while continuing to beat.
[Show full text]