Four species of freshwater sponges have their first register of occurrence for Amazonian waters upon specimens collected from Culuene and Sete de Setembro Rivers (Xingú basin), Tapirapés River (Araguaia basin) and Cuieiras River. Trochospongilla pennsylvanica (POTTS 1882) and Trochospongilla variabilis BONETTO & EZCURRA DE DRAGO (1973) occurred as minute specimens inside large sponges of the genus Metania GRAY (1867) or of the genus Drulia GRAY (1867). T. pennsylvanica has its first register of occurrence for the Neotropical region. Spongilla spoliata n. sp. resembles Spongilla inarmata ANNADALE (1918) and Spongilla aspinosa POTTS (1880) but is readily separated from these two species on account of the characteristic spines on its microscleres. Radiospongilla amazonensis n. sp. differs from its congeners by the particular characteristics of its megascleres and gemmoscleres

Becker Maciel, S.

Volkmer-Ribeiro, C.

English

MPG.PuRe

AMAZONIANA VIII 2 255 - 264 Kiel, Dezember 1983New Freshwater Sponges From Amazonian WatersbyCecilia Volkmer Ribeiro and S. Becker MacielMuseu de Ciências Naturais da Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul,Porto Alegre, RS, BrasilAbstractThe study of new collections of Amazonian freshwater sponges demonstrated thatTrochospongtlla pennsylvønlcø (POTTS 1882) is a cosmopolitan species, that Trochospon-gilla variabilis BONETTO & EZCLIRRA DE DRAGO (1973) occurs as far north in the neotropical region as the Amazon basin and that Spongítla spoliatø n. sp. and Rø diospongittaamnzonensis n. sp. share a good number of morphological similarities with two orientalspecies.Keywords : amaz onian freshwater sponges, similarities, oriental species.Previous works by VOLKMER-RIBEIRO (1981 and respective bibliography) dedicated to thestudy of the Amazonian freshwater sponge fauna have demonstrated that this fauna is specifically richand particulary abundant in the Amazonian ecosystem.In the present paper four new occurrences are registered for Amazonian waters. Three of themarc nerv occuÍences also for the Neotropical region. A new species is described tn the gents SpongilløLAMARCK (1816), and a¡othe¡ in the genusRadiospongilla pENNEy & RACEK (196g).The numbering of the specimens corresponds to the entries in the Porifera Catalog òf Museu deciências Naturais da Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio G¡ande do sul (MCN). In the present paper acorrection is introduced respecting the geographical situation of Cuieiras river. This rive¡ is in the Ama-zonas state and not in the Para State as refered to by vOLKMER-RIBEIRO (1979).0065j6755 I l9S3 | 255 | ø MpI für Limnologie, AG Tropenökologie, plön;INpA, Manaus255Genns Spongilla LAMÀRCK (1816)"sensu" PENNEY & RÂCEK (1968)Spongílla spolíata n. sp.Figs. 1 and 2Material: Several pieces of the sponge in alcohol. Cuiei¡as River, Amazonas State, Brz,zil, 196I,E. J. FITTKAU leg. Collected from 15 m deep,Holotype: The largest pieces, with gemmules. Taken out of the alcohol and dried. Deposited atMuseu Nacional da Quinta da Boa Vista, Rio de Ja¡eiro.Fragments of the holotype, also with gemmules and d¡ied were deposited in Museu de CiênciasNaturais da Fundação Zoobotãruca do Rio Grande do Sul under number 37.Type locaiity: Cuieiras River, Amazonas State, Brazil.Description: Sponge encrusting, forming nodulose growths or displaying a tendency to progressin growth towa¡ds short, waving branches on leaves or twigs of the submersed vegetation.Skeleton consisting of a basal, irregular, open arrangement of spicules from which arise slendervertical spicule fibers. These fibers project beyond the general level of the sponge so as to produce ahispid surface. Pinacoderm inconspicuous, Consistency of dry sponge very fragile, color brownish yellow,oscules inconspicuous.Megascleres: quite long, slender to robust, completely smooth, slightly curvecl anfioxea with ab-ruptly, almost lanceolated extremities. Lenght range 406 - 626 micrometers; width range 14 - 30 micro-meters.Microscleres: rare, minute, slightly crescentic in outline, completely microspined, with the ex-tremities gradually very sharp pointed and bearing in their central region a few to seve¡al large, irregu-larly shapped spines.Gemmoscleres: absent.Gemmules: abundant, singly held in capsules built up of the smallçr megascleres and situatedclose to surface of the sponge, with a maximum diameter of 623 micrometers; ovoid, pneumatic layerpoorly developped, smaller megascleres sometimes embedded in this layer; foramen bearing a short,conical collar.Remarks: only two species were described in the genus Spongilla "senst" PENNEY & RACEK(1968), which lack gemmoscleres and are contained inside cages built pp of the megascleres, i. e.S. aspinosa POTTS (1880) andS. inarmata ANNANDALE (1918). Thè first one is known only fromthe United States and the secorid is aparently restricted to Japan, PENNEY & RACEK (1968). The newspecies has megascleres which largely surpass the measures of the megascleres in the other two species,whilst microscleres show about similar dimensions in the three species. Howevet, whilst in S. aspinosathe microscleres are competely smooth, inS. inarmata they have minute spines in their central portionand in S. spoliata the spines are conspicuously larger so as to rende¡ distinction between these two lastspecies easy, as can be seen from fig. 2.GenusRødrbspozgíl/ø PENNEY & RACEK (1968)Radíospongilla amazonensis n. sp.Figs. 3,4 and 5Material: One large piece of the sponge, several small fiagments and a large amount of freegemmules, dried. "Posto do Jacaré", Culuene River (Xingú basin), Mato Grosso State, Brazil, J. C. DE*"t?":å,T;åTr? lli;;,?ií"" or rhe sponge. Dried. Deposited at Museu Nacionar da euinta daBoa Vista, Rio de Janeiro.Fragments of the holotype, a good amount of gemmules as well as several slides of spicular pre-paration were deposited in Museu de Ciências Naturais da Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande doSul under number I I 5.2s6Type locality: Culuene River, (Xingú basin) Mato Grosso State, Brazil.Description: Sponge massive, slightly branching, about 2 cm thick, 3.5 cm high and 5 cm long;surface even but a little hispid; oscula conspicuous ât one of the faces of the sponge; pinacodermwell developped; skeleton consisting of irregular, very slender spicule fibers joined together by scantyspongin and forming an open network; consistency of dry spo,rge extremely fragile, color dirty yellow.Megascleres straight, cylindrical, stout anfistrongyla, sometimes displaying a bulbous terminalswelling; covered with conspicuous, acute spines; to\üards the extremities ofthe scleres these spinesa¡e incuwed and more densely arranged so as to confere to these terminations the aspect ofan artichocke.Lenght range 240 - 344 micrometers; width range 1 2 - 25 micrometers. Young megascleres a¡e anfioxeawith usually lanc€olated tips.Microscleres: absent.Gemmoscleres stout, strongly spined anfistrongyla with usually straight shafts; spines larger andarranged in seve¡al rows at the tips of the scleres; tips umbonate and middle part of the shafts some-times smooth. As in other species of the genus, free gemmoscle¡es are commonly seen in the pinacodermor minged in the skeleton fibers. Lenght nnge 75 - 94 micrometers; width of shaft 3 - 8 mic¡ometers.Gemmules: extremely abundant and scatte¡ed among the skeletal meshes from the base to thesummit of the sponge; spherical, with a diameter ranging ftom 276 to 401 mic¡ometers; gemmoscleresradially embedded in the pneumatic coat, with one extremity in contact with the inner gemmular walland the other reaching, but not piercing the outer gemmula¡ membrane. Porus tube conical, sometimeslong, other times short.Remarks: The new species closely resembles.R. lndicø (ANANNDALE 190?) (from India, Indo-nesia and Philipines) in the possession of anfistrongylous megascieres where a bulbous aegregation ofterminal spines is sometimes conspicuous. However, the robustness of the spicular components of R.øtnazonensis and the shape of its megascleres, allied to the particula-r geographical distribution of thespecies, presently recommend the description of a new species for the Brazilian material.Gents Trocho spongíllø YEIDOVSKY (1883)"sensu" PENNEY & RÁ,CEK (1968)Trochospongilla pennsylvønicø (POTTS 1882)F,C.6Tubella pennsylvanica PO'ITS, 1882Trochospongílla Wnnsylvanica PENNEY & RACEK, 1968, p. 137 (and synonym)Tubelb mello-leitaoi (sic) MACHADO, 1.94'1 (partim, only plate VI, fig. 1) (new synonym)Material: MCN nos 261 and 262, mouthof Cuieiras River, Amazonas State, Brazil, l8.XII. 1961,E. J. FITTKAU leg.; MCN no E52, Sete de Setembro River (Xngú basin), Pará State, Brazil, VIII, 1965,E. J. FITTKAU leg.; MNRJ holotype of Tubella mello-leítaoi Tapirapés River (Araguaia basin). O. X.DE BRITO MACHADO leg, IX. 1945. (MNRJ: Museu Nacional da Quinta da Boa Vista, Rio de Janeiro).Sponge minute, forming small, level, whitish, yellowish or brownish qusts on the surface or in-side larger sponges of the genus Metania GRAY (1867) or of the genus Drutía GF.AY (1867). The crustsare in fact a basal layer ofgemmules barely covered by randomly packed megascleres. In some of thesectusts a few spicular fibers may be formed which pierce the surface of the sponge producing the hispidsurface typical of the genus. Dry sponge extremely fragile, the gemmules falling free as one works toseparete them from the skeleton of the supporthg sponge.The shape of the megascleres differs little from material of T. pennsylvanica îrom the UnitedStates and Canada though the size is conspicuously reduced: lenght range 54 to 150 micrometers, widthrange 3 to 10 micrometers.The gemmoscleres perfectly conform what has been described for gemmoscleres of this species;maximum lenght of shaft: 27 micrometers and maximum diameter of the inner rotule: 2l micrometers.The gemmules are abundant, spherical, free and provided with a short and wide porus tube bearinga layer of sldnting gemmoscleres. The smaller gemmules range in diameter from 250 to 276 micrometersand the largest from 300 to 500 micrometers. Smaller gemmules with a thick inner gemmular wall and a257thin pneumatic coat. Gemmoscleres embedded in the inner wall in one to three layers, the lowe¡ rotulesslightly overlapping each other and the upper rotules rarely reaching the pneumatic coat. The largergemmules show a very thick pneumatic coat where a few to many megascleres can be seen randomlyembedded so as to produce an external outer envelope. Pneumatic coat with polygonal cells.Remarks: The comparison of the present material with spicular slides of T. pennsylvanica frcmCanada a¡d the United States (Washington, West Virginia and Pennsylvania) demonstrated no otherdifferences than smaller sizes and more pronounced covering of spines of the megascleres in the Ama-zonian material. It is the opinion of the authors that such characte¡istics should be considered as eco-morphic variations linked to the microhabitat where the sponges were living, i. e. inside other largersponges. Study of the holotype of Tubella mello-leitaoi MACHADO (1947) (which was included byVOLKMER-RIBEIRO (1976) in the synonymy of Metania reticulata (BOWERBANK 1863)) alsoevinced the occu¡¡ence of small specimens of T. pennsylvanica lnside the reticulum of the large sponge.In his plate VI, fig. I MACHADO (1947) illustrates one of the megascleres of T. pennsylvanica des-cribed by him as a spined megasclere of Z. melloJeitaoi. In spite of the fact that PENNEY & RACEK(1968) considered the distribution of ?i Wnnsylvanica as apparently restricted to the North AmericanContinent, ANNANDALE (1911) had already recorded its occur¡ence f¡om the west coast of India andfrom Scotland. The present register, which is the first for the southern hcmisphere, indicates a cosmopo-litan dístribution for this species.Trochospongilla varíabilis BONETTO & EZCURRÄ DE DRA.GO (1973)Trochospongílla variabilis BONETTO & EZCURRA DE DR.A.GO (1973), p. 15;VOLKMER-RIBEIRO et al. (1975), p. 37Material: MCN no 1051, Branquinho River (Cuieiras basin), Amazonas State, Brazil, 1961, E. J.FITTI(AU leg.Remarks:Thespeciesalsooccurredasmicroespecimensinside onelatgeMetanirreticulata,inthe same way asjust desc¡ibed for T. pennsylvanica.The characteristics ofthe mate¡ia.l perfectly con-form what was originally described for'the spicular components of this species.SummaryFour species of freshwater sponges have their first register of occurrence for ,A.mazonian wate¡supon specimens collected from Culuene and Sete de Setembro Rivers (Xingú basin), Tapirapés Rive¡(Araguaia basin) and Cuieiras Rivet, Trochospongílln pennsylvanica (POTTS 1882) and Trochospongillavaríabilis BONETTO & EZCURRA DE DRAGO (1973) occurred as minute specimens inside large spongesof the genusMetania GP.AY (1867) or of the genus Druliø GRAY (1867). T. pennsylvanica has its firstregister of occutrence for the Neotropical region. Spongilla spoliata n. sp. resemblesSpongilta inarmøtaANNADALE (1918) and Spongílla aspínosa POTTS (1880) but is readily separated from these twospecies on account of the characteristic spines on its microsclercl Radiospongilla amazonensrS n. sp.differs from its congeners by the particular characteristics of its megascleres and gemmoscleres,ResumoCom base em material coletado nos rios Culuene e Sete de Setembro (ambos da bacia do ¡ioXingú), rio Tapirapés (bacia do rio Araguaia) e rio Cuieirag, é feito o primeiro registro de ocorrência,pala a amazõnia brasileira, das seguintes espécies de esponjas de água doæ: Trochospongilla variabitisBONETTO & EZCURRA DE DRAGO (1973), Trochospongilla pennsylvanica (POTTS 1882\, Spongilkspoliata n. sp. e Radiospongilla ømazonensls n. sp. O registto de T, pennsylvanica é, ainda, o primeiropara a rcgião neotropical. As duas primeiras espécies ocorreram como microespécimes dentro de esponjasmaio¡es do gênero Metøn ¿ GRAY (1867) ou gê,nero Drulia GRAY (1867). S. spoliøta mostra caracte- .risticas semelhantes a,S. inarmnta ANNADALE (1918) e aS. aspinosø POTTS (1880) mas é faclmente258Idistinguivel destas pela espinhadura tipica de suas microscle¡as. R. a¡¡uzonensl's distingue-se das demaisespécies do gênero pelas caracteristicas peculiares e robustez de suas megascleras e gemoscleras.AcknowledgmentsThe senior author is indebt to Dr. J. C. DE MELO CARVALHO of Museu Nacional da Quinta daBoa Vista, Rio de Janeiro and to D¡. E. J. FITTKAU of the "Zoologische Staatssammlung" of Munich,for the material enthrusted for study. The authors acknowledge the assistance of D¡. K. RUETZI,ER,Smithsonian Institution, in obtaining loan of slides of Spongilln inarmata ANNANDALE (1918), ofTrochospongilla pennsylvanicø (POTTS 1882) and of Radiospongílla indica (ANNANDALE 190?). Theauthors also acknowledge thegmnting offellowships nos 11116134/76 and 104563/80 from ConselhoNacíonal de Desenvolvimento Cientifico e Tecnológico (CNPq) to respectively the senio¡ and the juniorauthors. The final a-rt to the drawings was carried out by Miss R. ROSA of Fundação Zoobotânica doRio Grande do Sul.ReferencesANNANDALE, N. (1907): Notes on the freshwater fauna of India. Desqiption of new freshwatersponges from Calcutta a record of two known species from the Hymalayas, and a list of theIndian forms.- L & Proc. Asiatic, Soc. Bengal 3: 15 - 26.ANNANDALE, N. (1911): Freshwater sponges, hydroids and Polyzoa.- In: The fauna of British India,including Ceylon and Burma. 251 + VIII, 5 plates. Taylor and Francis, London,ANNANDALE, N. (1918): Zoological results of a tour in the Far East. IL Freshwate¡ sponges fromJapan, China and the Malay Peninsula.- Mem. Asiatic Soc. Bengal 6: 199 - 2L6.BONETTO, A. A. & I. EZCURRA DE DRAGO (19 7 3) : Las esponjas del genero TrochospongillaVEJDOVSKY en aguas argentinas.- Physis 32 (84): 13 - 18.MACHADO' O. X. B. (1947): Espongiários do Tapirapés.- Publ. 102, Anexo 5. Ministério da Agricultura.Conselho Nacional de Proteção aos Indios. Zool.4 p.PENNEY' J. T. & A. A, RACEK (1968): Comprehensive revision of a worldwide collection of fresh-water sponges (Porifera : Spongillidae).- U. S, Nat. Mus. Bull. 272: t - 184.Porrs, E. (1880): on freshwater sponges.- Proc. Acad. Nat. sci. philadelphia l88l: 356 - 357.POTTS, E, (18 82): Three more freshwater sponges.- Proc. Acad, Nat. S ci. Philadelphia 1883 : 12 - 14.VOLKMER-RIBEIRO, C. (1976): Revisão do gênero Metanø GRAY, 1867 (Porifera : Spongillidae),para a região Neotropical.- Tese (Livr. Doc,-Zoologia) Instituto de Biociências, PUCRGS PortoAlegre, 51 p., 2 mapas, 8 est. Q.{ão publicada).VOLKMER'RIBEIRO, c. (1979): Evolutionary study of genus Me tania GRAY ,1867 (porifera :Spongillidae). L The new species.- Amazoniana 6 (4): 639 - 649.VOLKMER-RIBEIRO, C. (1981): Porifera..In: HURLBERT, S. H., RODRIGIJEZ,G. &N. D. SANTOS(eds.): Aquatic Biota of Tropical South America, Part 2: Anarthropoda XI + ZgB pp:86 - 95,San Diego State Univetsity, San Diego, California.VOLKMER-RIBEIRO, C., GROSSER, K. M., DE ROSA-BARBOSA, R. & S. M. PAULS (19?5):Primeiro relato da ocorrência de Espongilideos (Porifera) na Bacia do Guaiba, Estado do RioGrande do Sul.- Iheringia, Zool46: 33 - 49.Author's address:Dr. Cecilia Volkme¡-RibeiroMuseu de Ciências Naturais daFundação Zopbotânica do Rio Grande do SulCaixa Postal I 18890000 - Porto Alegre - RSBræìlMrs. Silvia Becker MacielR. Cupertino Durão 1401/3032244I - Rio de Janeiro - RJBrasil 'Accepted for publication in August 1983259(E¡-otoEr_olf)Ef_oto m'Imf\]Þ+Èîv*(*.s'ÈfE{olog'IgFig.250 ¡mFig.2t"Camera lucida" drawings of the spicular components of Spongilla spoliøto n. sp. and of Spongillainarmata ANNANDALE (1918) (material from Japan, cotype, N. Gist Gee 56524). m = megascleresand g = gemmoscleres of S. spolíøta n. sp.; m' = megascleres and g' = gemmoscleres of S. inarmatø.At botton left a gemmosclere of the new species at high magnification and at bottom rþht agommosclere of S, ínarmata also at high magnification.261tFig.3:Holotype of Radiospongilla amøzonensis n. sp. At this face of the sponge the oscularappertures are conspicuous.Fþ.4:Holotype of Rødiospongillø amazonensis n. sp. Face of the sponge opposite to the oneseen in fig. 3. Whitish tiny gemmules can be seen in both fþures, from the base to thesummit of the sponge.262l".m50 pmI Im'---.--"-*sq:gÊg 50 ¡mFig. 5Fig. 5:"camera lucida" drawings of the spicular components of Radiospongîlla amazonensis n. sp.and' of Radiospongilla índica ANNANDALE (1907) (material from India, N. Gist Gee 53¿39).m = megascleres and g =þemmoscleres of ß, amazonensis n. sp. m' = megascleres and g' =gemmoscleres (young and adult) of R. indicø.-ì263(JlO-È3mÞn= @o@@ g50 ¡mIs0 flml--------------{50 ¡rm mFi g 6Fig. 6:"Camera lucida" drawings of the spicular components of Trochospongilla pennsylvanícø (POTTS18E2), material f¡om Amazonian waters and material from the United States and Canada. m andg = respectively, megascleres and gemmoscleres of specimens from Amazonian waters. m'and g' =respectively, megascleres and gemmoscleres of specimens from the United States and Canada.At middle left gemmoscleres from amazonian material drawn at the same magnification as themegascleres.(264

New freshwater sponges from Amazonian waters

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