Uruguaya corallioides ( Bowerbank, 1863 )

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 : 224-225

Uruguaya corallioides ( Bowerbank, 1863)

( Figure 4 )

Spongilla corallioides Bowerbank 1863: 460 , Bonetto & Ezcurra de Drago 1969: 352, Ezcurra de Drago & Bonetto 1969: 365. For other synonyms, see Muricy et al. (2011).

Material studied. UFPEPOR1300 (in part), São Francisco River (II), Santa Maria da Boa Vista, Pernambuco, Brazil, 08°48'31.5"S 39°49'59.5"W, coll. L.R.C. Lima, 07.x.2011.

General morphology. Encrusting sponge measuring 1cm in diameter. Megascleres exclusively stout strongyles straight to slightly curved (201–264/15–24µm), smooth, rarely slender oxeas ( Fig. 4 a,b). Microscleres absent. Gemmuloscleres are granulated strongyles (45–96/12–15µm), short, stout ( Fig. 4 c,d). Gemmules are hemispherical, around 470µm in diameter, and gemmuloscleres are embedded tangentially.

Distribution and ecological notes. Specimens were found at rocky substrate in running waters: Brazil ( Muricy et al. 2011); Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Venezuela ( Bowerbank, 1863, Hinde 1888, Bonetto & Ezcurra 1964, Bonetto & Ezcurra de Drago 1969, Volkmer-Ribeiro & Pauls 2000).

Remarks. Uruguaya is a monotypic genus with a restricted geographic range in the Neotropical Region. Uruguaya corallioides has a wide distribution in South America. Furthermore, Brazil has the most number of records for this species, mainly in north and south regions. Prior to the present study, however, it was unknown from northeast region.

Figures

FIGURE 4. Uruguaya corallioides: (a) megasclere strongyle; (b) megasclere oxea; (c) gemmuloscleres; (d) detail of gemmuloscleres surface. Scale bars: a, b, c— 50 µm, d— 5 µm.