Identification of an aquaculture poriferan “Pest with Potential” and its phylogenetic implications

Abstract

Correct identification and classification of sponges is challenging due to ambiguous or misleading morphological features. A particular case is a blue keratose sponge occasionally referred to as the “Blue Photo Sponge” among aquarists, which appears frequently (and in several cases unintended) in private aquaria. This spicule-less species, occasionally specified as Collospongia auris Bergquist, Cambie & Kernan 1990, not only displays a high phenotypic plasticity in growth form and colour, it also proliferates in aquacultures under standard conditions unlike most other sponges. Therefore, this species is regarded as a pest for most aquarists. In turn, the ease of cultivation and propagation in aquacultures qualifies this species as a model organism for a wide array of scientific applications. For these purposes, correct identification and classification are indispensable. We reconstructed ribosomal gene trees and determined this species as Lendenfeldia chondrodes (De Laubenfels, 1954) (Phyllospongiinae), distant to Collospongia auris, and corroborated by skeletal features. Additionally, the resulting phylogeny corroborated major shortcomings of the current Phyllospongiinae classification—its consequences are discussed.

Short-term exposure to high-water temperature causes a shift in the microbiome of the common aquarium spongeLendenfeldia chondrodes

“…Here, we provide the first characterization of the microbiome of L. chondrodes, a keratose sponge commonly found in salt-water aquaria around the globe [27] . With over 1300 OTUs belonging in 22 phyla, the microbial community associated with L. chondrodes lie well within the ranges of OTU-and Phylum-level richness (i.e., 50 to 3820 OTUs, and 13 to 34 phyla, respectively) reported in a microbiome survey of 81 sponge species [33] .…”

Soft sponges with tricky tree: On the phylogeny of dictyoceratid sponges

“…Cook and Bergquist (2002c) remarked on morphological similarities with the Phyllospongiinae, but with different secondary metabolite composition and a unique skeletal structure, which allegedly makes classification into any of the thorectid subclasses difficult. We recover Collospongia among the first branching thorectid genera and clearly distant from Phyllospongiinae (see also Galitz et al, 2018).…”

“…Of the remaining phyllospongiine genera (Cook & Bergquist, ), Candidaspongia Bergquist, Sorokin & Karuso, has been identified as Dysideidae (Galitz et al, ; Redmond et al, ) and Lendenfeldia Bergquist, requires revision—lectotype sequencing of its type species L. frondosa (Lendenfeld) (BMNH 1877.5.21.1697) has been attempted, but without success. Further details on the internal relationships of Phyllospongiinae and paraphyly of its genera are given in Abdul Wahab et al () and Galitz et al ().…”

“…For the monospecific genus Collospongia , the holotype C. auris Bergquist, Cambie & Kernan (AM Z5035) has been analyzed (Galitz et al, ). Cook and Bergquist () remarked on morphological similarities with the Phyllospongiinae, but with different secondary metabolite composition and a unique skeletal structure, which allegedly makes classification into any of the thorectid subclasses difficult.…”

“…This constellation is underlined by several in-depth studies that included types of Strepsichordaia lendenfeldiBergquist, Ayling & Wilkinson (AM Z5026), and Carteriospongia foliascens (Pallas) BMNH 1925.11.1.41 (seeAbdul Wahab, Fromont, Whalan, Webster, & Andreakis, 2014;Galitz et al, 2018) (sequencing of the holotype of Phyllospongia papyracea (Esper) BMNH 1931.4.1.1 was attempted but unsuccessful). Of the remaining phyllospongiine genera(Cook & Bergquist, 2002d), CandidaspongiaBergquist, Sorokin & Karuso, 1999 has been identified as Dysideidae(Galitz et al, 2018;Redmond et al, 2013) andLendenfeldia Bergquist, 1980 requires revision-lectotype sequencing of its type species L. frondosa (Lendenfeld) (BMNH 1877.5.21.1697) has been attempted, but without success. Further details on the internal relationships of Phyllospongiinae and paraphyly of its genera are given in Abdul Wahab et al (2014) and Galitz Rhopaloeides (including a Systema Porifera reference of type species Rhopaloeides odorabile Thompson, Murphy, Bergquist & Evans, SDCC/RF067), and Hippospongia from several different studies as published in NCBI GenBank.…”