AUTHOR=Leal Camille V. , Moraes Fernando C. , Fróes Adriana M. , Soares Ana C. , de Oliveira Louisi S. , Moreira Ana Paula B. , Thompson Fabiano L. , Hajdu Eduardo 

TITLE=Integrative Taxonomy of Amazon Reefs' Arenosclera spp.: A New Clade in the Haplosclerida (Demospongiae)

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Marine Science

VOLUME=4

YEAR=2017

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2017.00291

DOI=10.3389/fmars.2017.00291

ISSN=2296-7745

ABSTRACT=<p>Two new <italic>Arenosclera</italic> are described here on the basis of materials obtained from Amazon reefs in 2014, <italic>A. amazonensis</italic> sp. nov. and <italic>A. klausi</italic> sp. nov. Both are clearly distinct from all other <italic>Arenosclera</italic> by their erect, solid funnel to lamellate habit, larger oxeas, and ectosomal architecture bearing occasional multispicular tracts. An integrative approach to find the best classification for both new species failed to group them and <italic>A. heroni</italic>, the genus' type species. Nearly complete 28S rRNA sequences obtained from these species' metagenomes suggested instead a better placement for the new species and <italic>A. brasiliensis</italic> in clade C (<italic>sensu</italic> Redmond et al., <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B34">2013</xref>), while <italic>A. heroni</italic> fits best in clade A. We propose to name three clades according to the rules of the PhyloCode: <italic>Arenospicula</italic><sup><italic>p</italic></sup>, <italic>Dactyclona</italic><sup><italic>p</italic></sup>, and <italic>Dactyspicula</italic><sup><italic>p</italic></sup>, respectively for the clade originating with the most recent common ancestor of the three Brazilian <italic>Arenosclera</italic> spp.; the most inclusive clade containing <italic>Dactylia varia</italic> (Gray, <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B14">1843</xref>) and <italic>Haliclona curacaoensis</italic> (van Soest, <xref ref-type="bibr" rid="B44">1980</xref>); and the least inclusive clade containing <italic>Arenospicula</italic><sup><italic>p</italic></sup> and <italic>Dactyclona</italic><sup><italic>p</italic></sup>. A Karlin dinucleotide dissimilarity analysis of metagenomes carried out on cryopreserved samples recognized <italic>A. amazonensis</italic> sp. nov. as the most dissimilar species, thus suggesting a more particular microbiota is present in this Amazon species, an open avenue for extended applied study of this holobiont.</p>