Racekiela cavernicola (Porifera: Demospongiae) new species and the first record of cave freshwater sponge from Brazil
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.4013/4747Abstract
Racekiela cavernicola n. sp., first species of Neotropical freshwater sponge found in cave habitat was discovered in the Lapa dos Brejões, a large cave system (coordinates 11o00’42,7”S; 41o25’59,6”W) on karstic terrains at the northern part of the Chapada Diamantina, State of Bahia, northeast Brazil. The description of the new species is provided altogether with “in situ” photographs of specimens and gemmules, SEM photographs of the spicules and the gemmular structure. Two distinct classes of gemmoscleres differing in size and shape are present. This is the second species of genus Racekiela Bass and Volkmer-Ribeiro,1998 registered for the Neotropical Region. The first one, R. sheilae (Volkmer-Ribeiro, De Rosa- Barbosa and Tavares, 1988) is known up to now only from coastal wetland areas in Brazil. Extensive surveys in the open tracts of river Jacaré are required before the new species may be considered a troglobitic species. However, this species has high potential to be included in this category, once the epigean reach of the Jacaré River is not perennial.
Key words: continental sponges, caves, Neotropical Region, preserved area.Downloads
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