Tubella repens ( Hinde, 1888 )

Nicacio, Gilberto & Pinheiro, Ulisses, 2015, Biodiversity of freshwater sponges (Porifera: Spongillina) from northeast Brazil: new species and notes on systematics, Zootaxa 3981 (2), pp. 220-240 : 235-236

Tubella repens ( Hinde, 1888)

( Figure 11 )

Uruguaya repens Hinde, 1888: 2 ; Penney & Racek 1968: 146, Volkmer-Ribeiro 1969: 120, Kilian & Wintermann-Kilian 1976: 82.

Uruguaya pygmaea Hinde, 1888: 8 ; Kilian & Wintermann-Kilian 1976: 82.

Uruguaya ringueleti Bonetto & Ezcurra, 1963: 23 ; Kilian & Wintermann-Kilian 1976: 82.

Trochospongilla repens, Volkmer-Ribeiro & Grosser 1981: 177 , De Rosa-Barbosa 1984: 131, Volkmer-Ribeiro & de De Rosa- Barbosa 1985: 79, Volkmer-Ribeiro & Parolin 2010: 116, Volkmer-Ribeiro et al. 2010: 343.

Uruguayella repens, Bonetto & Ezcurra de Drago 1969: 352.

Uruguaya macandrewi, Hinde, 1888: 4 (in part).

Uruguayella macandrewi, Bonetto & Ezcurra de Drago 1969: 356 (in part).

Uruguayella pygmaea, Bonetto & Ezcurra de Drago 1969: 356, Ezcurra de Drago 1993: 119.

Uruguayella ringueleti, Bonetto & ezcurra de Drago 1969: 356, Ezcurra de Drago 1993: 120.

For other synonys see Muricy et al. (2011).

Material studied. MNRJ 15436, São Francisco River (I), Ilha de Assunção, Cabrobó, Pernambuco, Brazil, 08°32'25,5"S 39°26'41,5"W, coll. J. A Siqueira-Filho, 30.vii.2011.

General morphology. Encrusting sponge measuring 10cm in diameter and 0.5cm in thickness. Consistency of live sponges very hard and fragile, conspicuous oscula. Colour grey. Spicules. Megascleres strongyles curved (141–168/30–45µm), small, robust, smooth ( Fig. 11 a). Microscleres absent. Gemmuloscleres tiny birotules (15µm) with smooth stout shaft (6–9µm), equal rotules (15µm) with uncut/entire margins and a conical projection at the middle ( Fig. 11 b). Gemmules are minute hemispherical averaging 360µm diameter, rare, and scattered in the sponge body ( Fig. 11 c,d).

Distribution and ecological notes. Brazil ( Muricy et al. 2011). Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Panama ( Hinde 1888, Bonetto & Ezcurra de Drago 1962, Penney & Racek 1968, Volkmer-Ribeiro & De Rosa-Barbosa 1985). Specimens were commonly found on rocky substrate in running waters.

Remarks. Although Tubella repens has a widespread distribution in the Neotropical Region, there are still some issues on taxonomic features described in most records of the species. Many Brazilian records describe this species with strongyles, oxeas or both. This misidentification sometimes is related to specimens with other freshwater epibiont sponges commonly found with this species ( Hinde 1888, Volkmer-Ribeiro 1969, Volkmer- Ribeiro & De Rosa-Barbosa 1985, Batista et al. 2003, Batista et. al. 2007, Volkmer-Ribeiro et al. 2010, Volkmer- Ribeiro & Parolin et al. 2010). Thus, most recorded specimens should be reexamined to determine whether this species is really widely distributed in South and Central America.

Figures

FIGURE 11. Tubella repens: (a) megascleres, (b) gemmuloscleres, (c, d) gemmules. Scale bars: a 50 µm; b 5 µm; c, d— 100 µm