Unique spicules may confound species differentiation: taxonomy and biogeography of Melonanchora Carter, 1874 and two new related genera (Myxillidae: Poecilosclerida) from the Okhotsk Sea

Sponges are amongst the most difficult benthic taxa to properly identify, which has led to a prevalence of cryptic species in several sponge genera, especially in those with simple skeletons. This is particularly true for sponges living in remote or hardly accessible environments, such as the deep-s...

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Published in:PeerJ (San Francisco, CA) CA), 2021-12, Vol.9, p.e12515-e12515, Article e12515
Main Authors: Santín, Andreu, Uriz, María-Jesús, Cristobo, Javier, Xavier, Joana R, Ríos, Pilar
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Atlanto-Mediterranean
Biodiversity
Biogeography
Deep-Sea
Marine Biology
Melonanchora
Museums
Natural history
New genera
New species
Porifera
Scanning electron microscopy
Spicule evolution
Spicules
Taxonomic revision
Taxonomy
Zoology
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Summary:Sponges are amongst the most difficult benthic taxa to properly identify, which has led to a prevalence of cryptic species in several sponge genera, especially in those with simple skeletons. This is particularly true for sponges living in remote or hardly accessible environments, such as the deep-sea, as the inaccessibility of their habitat and the lack of accurate descriptions usually leads to misclassifications. However, species can also remain hidden even when they belong to genera that have particularly characteristic features. In these cases, researchers inevitably pay attention to these peculiar features, sometimes disregarding small differences in the other "typical" spicules. The genus Carter, 1874, is among those well suited for a revision, as their representatives possess a unique type of spicule (spherancorae). After a thorough review of the material available for this genus from several institutions, four new species of , sp. nov., sp. nov., sp. nov. and sp. nov. are formally described from different localities across the Atlanto-Mediterranean region. Additionally, all from the Okhotsk Sea and nearby areas are reassigned to other genera; is transferred to ( ) while two new genera, gen. nov. and gen. nov. are created to accommodate and , respectively. gen. nov. is closest to , whereas gen. nov., is closer to , which is most likely polyphyletic and in need of revision.
ISSN:2167-8359
2167-8359
DOI:10.7717/peerj.12515