Metania

Manconi, Renata, Cadeddu, Barbara & Pronzato, Roberto, 2015, Adaptive morpho-traits, taxonomy and biogeography of Metania Gray, 1867 (Porifera: Spongillina: Metaniidae) with the description of a new species from Madagascar, Zootaxa 3918 (1), pp. 39-56 : 41-44

Zoogeography of Metania

The circumtropical biogeographic pattern of Metania is highly disjunct with scattered records in the Neotropical, Afrotropical, Oriental, and Australian Regions. This disjunct distribution matches a Gondwanan track (see also Volkmer-Ribeiro 1976, 1990).

Metania fittkaui Volkmer-Ribeiro, 1979 . Neotropical Region ( Brazil)

Itù R. (type loc.), Negro R. Trib., Amazon, Igarapè Aduja; Branquinho R. (Igarapè Cachoeira, branch of Cuieiras R.), Amazon [02°31’S, 60°16’W]; Verde R., Rondônia State, Porto Velho [08°45’S, 63°53’W].

Metania godeauxi (Brien, 1968) . Afrotropical Region (sub-Saharan Africa)

Kafubu R. (type loc.), mouth in the Luapula R. [11°25’S, 28°25E]; Luapula R., mouth in the Mweru L. [09°20’S, 28°40’E].

Metania kiliani Volkmer-Ribeiro and Costa, 1992 . Neotropical Region ( Brazil)

Cuieras R. (type loc.), Amazon, Manaus, Igarapè do Cachoeira; Itù R. (Negro R. Trib.), Amazon, Igarapè Aduja; Negro R., Amazon, Igarapè Tarumazinho [02°43’05”S, 60°05’53”W].

Metania madagascariensis Manconi and Pronzato nov. sp. Afrotropical Region ( Madagascar)

Matsiatra R. (type loc.), upper Mangoky R. hydrographic Bas., Haute Matsiatra Region, Central High Plateau, between Fianarantsoa North and Ambalakely [21°25'36.1092"S, 47°9'23.7054" E].

Metania ovogemmata Stanisic, 1979 . Australian Region (Northern Australia)

Billabong near Maningrida (type loc.), Arnhem Land, Northern Territory [12°03’06”S, 134°13’46”E].

Metania pottsi (Weltner, 1895) . Afrotropical Region (sub-Saharan Africa)

L. Tumba (type loc.), higher Congo Bas. [00°37’– 01°00’S, 17°49’– 18°09’E]; Ruki R., Eala [00°04’N, 18°17E]; Boende [00°13’S, 20°52’E]; L. Mai-Ndombe (ex-L. Leopold II) [01°32’– 02°43’S, 18°03’– 18°36’E]; Yangambi R. [00°47’N, 24°28’E]; Lower Congo Bas., Katina at Kinshasa (ex-Leopoldville) [04°18’S, 15°19’E], Mateba Dam [05°15’S, 13°03’E], Matadi [05°49’S, 13°28’E], Djili swamps (in Malebo Po., ex-Stanley Po.) [04°13’S, 15°25’E]; Lukula R. [05°23’S, 12°56’E]; Chiloango R. near Luali, northern Congo Bas. [05°01’S, 12°24’E]; Dombondola [17°20’N, 14°50’E]; Ivindo R., near Belinga [01°07’N, 13°06’E].

Metania reticulata ( Bowerbank, 1863) . Neotropical Region ( Brazil)

Amazon R. (type loc.), Villa Nova (now Parintins) [02°37’S, 56°43’W]; Crixás Açu R. Nova Crixás; Araguaia R., Comprido L., Cristalino R., Varal L., Lagoão, Cocalinho, Santana do Araguaia, Caseara; Juruá R., Carauari (Conceição do Raimundo), Eirunepé; Negro R. (including Tupé L. and Igapó do Tarumã-Mirim), Manaus; Arapiuns R. (Gurupi Bridge), Santarém, Maró R.; Urubu R., Lagoa da Confusão; Guaíba R., Barra do Ribeiro, Guaíba, Porto Alegre, Viamão; Jacuí R., São Jerônimo; Branquinho R.; Cuieras R.; Garapú R.; Itapirapés R.; Itú R.

Metania rhodesiana Burton, 1938 . Afrotropical Region (sub-Saharan Africa)

Chambeshi R. and Bangweulu Bas. (type loc.) [08°32’– 08°49’S, 26°13’– 26°30’E]; L. Ishiba Ngandu, S-E Congo Bas., ex- L. Young, also named L. Shiwa Ngandu [11°14’S, 31°46’E]; Upemba L.s system, largest L., along the Lualaba R., S-E Congo Bas.

Metania spinata (Carter, 1881) . Neotropical Region ( Brazil, Suriname)

Paleolago Cemeterio Catalao Go (type loc.), Obidos, Amazon R., [01°50’S, 55°30’W]; Uraricoera R., Alto Alegre Maracà Island, Roraina [03°21’N, 61°26’W], Igarapè Serrinha, [01°35’S, 69°27’W]; Canamè R. (Uraricoera Trib.), Alto Alegre; Dourada L., Perdzidzes damming, Lobo Bas., Sao Carlos, Sao Paulo; do Sangue R., (Garganta de Jararaca H.P.S. Res.); Campo Novo do Parecís;, Alecrim P. (Spic. Sed.), São Simão; Araré P. (Spic. Sed.) Paranaíba; Samambaia L. (Spic. Sed.), near Paraná R., Taquarussu [22º36’S, 53º23’W]; Presidente Figueiredo, Urubu Stream (km 121 Creek, 01º55’47”S, 60º03’00”W); Caracaranã L. (Spic. Sed.), Normandia; do Pico P., Lençóis Maranhenses, Santo Amaro do Maranhão; da Coceira P., Lençóis Maranhenses Tutóia; Sem Noite P., Olaria dos Datos P. (Spic. Sed.), Conceição das Alagoas, Boa Vista Farm; Degredo P. (Spic. Sed.), Santa Vitória; Lagoa Dourada Res., Jacaré Res., Brotas; João Pinheiro (spongillites); Porto Ferreira; Branquinho R., Cuieras R., Cachoeira Creek, Negro R. (Tarumazinho), Tapajós R.; Para R., Lower Suriname Trib., near Republiek, Igarapè Coropina, Suriname [06°01’N, 55°09’W].

Metania subtilis Volkmer, 1979 . Neotropical Region ( Brazil)

Branquinho R., Cuieras R. branch (type loc.), Parà [02°31’S, 60°16’W]; Negro R., Tupè L. and Manaus Harbour, Manaus.

Metania vesparium (Martens, 1868) . Oriental Region ( Indonesia)

Kapuas R. (type loc.), Borneo [00°05’N, 110°38’W]; Donao L., Sriang, Sintang, Borneo [00°04’N, 111°29’W].

Metania vesparioides (Annandale, 1908) Oriental Region (Myanmar-Burma)

Kanghyi (type loc.) at Mudon, near Moulmein, Amherst district [16°16’N, 97°44’W].

At the species level is possible to identify three regional groups of Metania : a group (5 species) which is endemic to the Neotropical Region and almost exclusive of the Brazilian territory ( Table 2; Figs 1 , 2 ); a group (3 species) which is endemic to the Afrotropical Region ( Table 2; Figs 1 , 2 ); and a group (3 species) which is localized in a NW-SE area from Myanmar ( Burma), to Borneo, to northern Australia ( Table 2; Figs 1 , 2 ).

The most common species are M. reticulata and M. spinata which are endemic to Brazil and have been found in several localities. M. spinata is also recorded from one northern locality of Suriname. Less common are M. fittkaui , M. kiliani and M. subtilis which are endemic to the Amazon area and known from only a few localities ( Muricy et al. 2011). Among the three African endemic species the most common is M. pottsi recorded from 13 localities in the River Congo basin, and M. godeauxi and M. rhodesiana are only known from two localities in other central-eastern hydrographic basins ( Manconi & Pronzato 2009) ( Table 2; Figs 1 , 2 ).

Species of the Austral-Asian group, namely M. ovogemmata which is endemic to Australia and M. vesparioides which is endemic to Myanmar are extremely rare and known only from the type localities, while M. vesparium , which is endemic to Borneo, is known from the type locality and a second nearby site.

The evidently higher number of species and records in South America is probably due to the number of recent researchers working on the group and the diversity of Metania in other regions is most likely underestimated.

Figures

FIGURE 1. Worldwide geographic range of the genus Metania suggesting a Gondwanan biogeographic pattern with all circumtropical-equatorial records in the Neotropical, Afrotropical, Oriental, and Australian Regions. Each dot refers to one or more species.

FIGURE 2. Genus Metania. Spicular complements of the 11 hitherto accepted Metania species plus the new species M. madagascariensis sp. nov. (modified in part from Volkmer-Ribeiro, 1979, 1986; Volkmer-Ribeiro & Costa, 1992, 1993).