Renata Manconi - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Renata Manconi

Research paper thumbnail of Coping with brackish water: A new species of cave-dwelling Protosuberites (Porifera: Demospongiae: Suberitidae) from the Western Mediterranean and a first contribution to the phylogenetic relationships within the genus

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Dec 31, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Biodiversity assessment of the Lower Mekong Basin: A new species of Corvospongilla (Porifera: Spongillina: Spongillidae) from Thailand

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Dec 31, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Freshwater sponges (Porifera, Spongillidae) from the Lake of Geneva, Switzerland

Revue Suisse De Zoologie, 1999

Freshwater sponges (Porifera, Spongillidae) from the Lake of Geneva, Switzerland.-A census of the... more Freshwater sponges (Porifera, Spongillidae) from the Lake of Geneva, Switzerland.-A census of the sponge fauna in shallow-waters of the Lake of Geneva, Switzerland, displayed the presence of scattered populations of Spongilla lacustris (Linnaeus, 1758), Eunapius fragilis (Leidy, 1851), Ephydatia fluviatilis (Linnaeus, 1758), and Ephydatia muelleri (Lieberkühn, 1855). Spongilla lacustris was the most frequent species, either alone or associated with other species it was present in numerous sites on a variety of substrata along the entire shoreline. The morphological analysis of specimens of S. lacustris of the Lake of Geneva compared with the type material of S. lacustris and Spongilla helvetica, shows a considerable variation of skeletal and gemmular characters. Therefore, the synonymy of S. helvetica with S. lacustris is confirmed. The study also demonstrates the existence of a rich and diversified sponge fauna in the Lake of Geneva.

Research paper thumbnail of Coping with brackish water: A new species of cave-dwelling Protosuberites Porifera: Demospongiae: Suberitidae) from the Western Mediterranean and a first contribution to the phylogenetic relationships within the genus

Zootaxa, Dec 18, 2016

We used both morphological and genetic approaches to investigate and to describe a new Mediterran... more We used both morphological and genetic approaches to investigate and to describe a new Mediterranean sponge species of the genus Protosuberites from the estuarine-anchialine Bue Marino Cave of Sardinia (Tyrrhenian Sea). The morphotraits of the specimens were compared versus congeneric species with the strongest affinities, covering the genus geographic range worldwide. Protosuberites mereui sp. nov. is light yellow, thinly encrusting, devoid of any special ectosomal skeleton, with spicular complement of tylostyles of three size classes, single or arranged in bundles/tufts, with round to suboval heads. The new species is characterized by an exclusive diagnostic trait recorded for any cave-dwelling Protosuberites i.e. suboval and basally plated resting bodies with a foraminal aperture ornate by a collar. Resting bodies were found in the basal spongin plate firmly adhering to the substratum singly or in small groups. Also the rare, small tylostyles with a sinuous shaft and a typical mushroom-like head were never recorded in the Western Mediterranean and Atlantic species of the genus. The phylogenetic reconstruction using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian Inference (BI) analyses (COI, 18S rRNA, and 28S rRNA) recovered a robustly supported sister relationship between the Mediterranean P. mereui sp. nov. and Protosuberites sp. 'Panama' from the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The genetic distances based on COI sequences between all compared Protosuberites species were always higher than 2%, a value sufficient to confirm that P. mereui sp. nov. is a distinct species within the genus. Morphological and genetic analyses confirm unanimously P. mereui sp. nov. as a new species. Our results contribute to the assessment of biodiversity in anchialine/estuarine caves and increase data on sponge adaptive strategies in these extreme ecosystems.

Research paper thumbnail of Biodiversity in canopy-forming algae: Structure and spatial variability of the Mediterranean Cystoseira assemblages

Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science, Jul 1, 2018

In the Mediterranean Sea, Cystoseira species are the most important canopy-forming algae in shall... more In the Mediterranean Sea, Cystoseira species are the most important canopy-forming algae in shallow rocky bottoms, hosting high biodiverse sessile and mobile communities. A large-scale study has been carried out to investigate the structure of the Cystoseira-dominated assemblages at different spatial scales and to test the hypotheses that alpha and beta diversity of the assemblages, the abundance and the structure of epiphytic macroalgae, epilithic macroalgae, sessile macroinvertebrates and mobile macroinvertebrates associated to Cystoseira beds changed among scales. A hierarchical sampling design in a total of five sites across the Mediterranean Sea (Croatia, Montenegro, Sardinia, Tuscany and Balearic Islands) was used. A total of 597 taxa associated to Cystoseira beds were identified with a mean number per sample ranging between 141.1±6.6 (Tuscany) and 173.9±8.5(Sardinia). A high variability at small (among samples) and large (among sites) scale was generally highlighted, but the studied assemblages showed different patterns of spatial variability. The relative importance of the different scales of spatial variability should be considered to optimize sampling designs and propose monitoring plans of this habitat.

Research paper thumbnail of African planarians: <i>Dugesia aethiopica</i> sp. n. (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida) from lake Tana (NW Ethiopia)

Italian Journal of Zoology, 2002

Research paper thumbnail of Freshwater planarian diversity (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida: Dugesiidae) in Madagascar: new species, cryptic species, with a redefinition of character states

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, Jul 10, 2017

The present paper describes three new species of freshwater flatworm of the genus Dugesia from Ma... more The present paper describes three new species of freshwater flatworm of the genus Dugesia from Madagascar, by applying an integrative approach to taxonomy, combining morphological and molecular information. Further, molecular data uncovered a cryptic species diversity, enabling taxonomic assignment of several asexual populations to already known species and thus pointing to at least two more species of the genus Dugesia present on Madagascar. The paper redefines several character state conditions in species of Dugesia, relating to three types of accessory structures of the copulatory apparatus: penial annexes, atrial folds and valves, and adenodactyls. It also provides a more precise definition of character states concerning the course of the ejaculatory duct through the penis papilla. In order to be able to examine the taxonomic status, phylogenetic position and biogeography of the Malagasy Dugesia species, molecular phylogenetic analyses were performed on many populations from Madagascar and also on representatives of 27 species from across the geographic range of the genus. Our results show that Madagascar is not only rich in number of species but also in genetic diversity, thus highlighting that the biodiversity and endemicity of Malagasy freshwater planarians has been underestimated.

Research paper thumbnail of Aquatic Insects in Habitat-Forming Sponges: The Case of the Lower Mekong and Conservation Perspectives in a Global Context

Diversity, Oct 27, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Research paper thumbnail of Author response for "Collagenic architecture and morphotraits in a marine basal metazoan as a model for bioinspired applied research

Research paper thumbnail of Macroalgal forest vs sea urchin barren: Patterns of macro-zoobenthic diversity in a large-scale Mediterranean study

Marine Environmental Research, Jul 1, 2020

The study aimed at contributing to the knowledge of alternative stable states by evaluating the d... more The study aimed at contributing to the knowledge of alternative stable states by evaluating the differences of mobile and sessile macro-zoobenthic assemblages between sea urchin barrens and macroalgal forests in coastal Mediterranean systems considering a large spatial scale. Six sites (100 s km apart) were selected: Croatia, Montenegro, Sicily (Italy), Sardinia (Italy), Tuscany (Italy), and Balearic Islands (Spain). A total of 531 taxa, 404 mobile and 127 sessile macro-invertebrates were recorded. Overall, 496 and 201 taxa were found in macroalgal forests and in barrens, respectively. The results of this large-scale descriptive study have met the expectation of lower macrofauna complexity and diversity in barrens rather than in macroalgal forests, and have allowed estimating the differences in levels of diversity and the consistency of variability across Mediterranean sites. Some peculiar patterns in barrens, related to both abundance of specific taxa and to high values of beta diversity, have been evidenced.

Research paper thumbnail of A new Mediterranean ‘lithistid’ sponge, <i>Aciculites mediterranea</i> sp. nov. (Porifera: Demospongiae) from a dark marine cave in Sardinia

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Jun 15, 2006

Research paper thumbnail of Fin systems comparative anatomy in model Batoidea <i>Raja asterias</i> and <i>Torpedo marmorata</i>: Insights and relatioships between musculo‐skeletal layout, locomotion and morphology

Journal of Anatomy, May 1, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Sistemi naturali di biofiltrazione, di produzione e di emissione di antifouling naturali a base di spugne per l’abbattimento dell’inquinamento organico e inorganico in ambienti portuali, porti canale, ambienti lagunari, impianti di acquicoltura e industriali. SAFEAQUAPLAN (Sponges as Active FiltE...

Research paper thumbnail of A new species of stygobiont freshwater planarian (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida) from a chemoautotrophic ecosystem: the Frasassi karst in Italy

Zootaxa, Sep 25, 2017

In this paper we report a new species of Dendrocoelum from the chemoautotrophic ecosystem of the ... more In this paper we report a new species of Dendrocoelum from the chemoautotrophic ecosystem of the Frasassi hypogenic cave complex in the northeastern Apennines of Italy. Dendrocoelum leporii Stocchino & Sluys, sp. nov. is characterized by the presence of a muscular atrial valve, which is unique within the genus. Moreover, the new species is characterized also by a penis papilla with a pseudoflagellum, numerous testes situated in the ventral, dorsal and median body regions with the follicles extending to the far posterior end of the body, and a large adenodactyl with the so-called Balkan type of musculature. The new species represents the twelfth dendrocoelid species recorded for Italy. A summary is provided of the species of the family Dendrocoelidae Hallez, 1892 thus far reported for the mainland and the isles of Italy.

Research paper thumbnail of The combined cartilage growth – calcification patterns in the wing‐fins of Rajidae (Chondrichthyes): A divergent model from endochondral ossification of tetrapods

Microscopy Research and Technique

The relationship between cartilage growth – mineralization patterns were studied in adult Rajidae... more The relationship between cartilage growth – mineralization patterns were studied in adult Rajidae with X‐ray morphology/morphometry, undecalcified resin‐embedded, heat‐deproteinated histology and scanning electron microscopy. Morphometry of the wing‐fins, nine central rays of the youngest and oldest specimens documented a significant decrement of radials mean length between inner, middle and outer zones, but without a regular progression along the ray. This suggests that single radial length growth is regulated in such a way to align inter‐radial joints parallel to the wing metapterygia curvature. Trans‐illumination and heat‐deproteination techniques showed polygonal and cylindrical morphotypes of tesserae, whose aligned pattern ranged from mono‐columnar, bi‐columnar, and multi‐columnar up to the crustal‐like layout. Histology of tessellated cartilage allowed to identify of zones of the incoming mineral deposition characterized by enhanced duplication rate of chondrocytes with the f...

Research paper thumbnail of Three dispersal routes out of Africa: A puzzling biogeographical history in freshwater planarians

Journal of Biogeography

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial ... more This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.

Research paper thumbnail of The complex rostral morphology and the endoskeleton ossification process of two adult samples of Xiphias gladius (Xiphiidae)

Research paper thumbnail of Sponges (Porifera: Spongillida) as ecological indicators for parasitic protozoans Cryptosporidium and Giardia infective stages in freshwater ecosystems

Research paper thumbnail of Long-term turnover of the sponge fauna in Faro Lake (North-East Sicily, Mediterranean Sea)

Italian Journal of Zoology, 2016

The paper focuses on the long-term taxonomic composition and distribution of the shallow-water sp... more The paper focuses on the long-term taxonomic composition and distribution of the shallow-water sponge fauna from the meromictic-anchialine coastal basin Faro Lake (Southern Italy), comparing recent qualitative field data with literature data over a 50-year period. The Faro Lake shallow water currently hosts 24 conspicuous species of Porifera belonging to 21 genera, 18 families, eight orders, three subclasses and two classes, i.e. Demospongiae (23) and Calcarea (one). The comparison between the present and past status of the sponge fauna showed a high turnover, with 15 new colonizers and only nine persistent species. Thirteen species reported in the literature are missing, suggesting the occurrence of remarkable changes in the faunal composition during the last 50 years. The analysis of the geographic distribution of each species allowed us to outline the prevalent North Atlantic affinity of the sponge community. Worthy of note is the new record of the alien calcareous sponge Paraleucilla magna of cryptogenic origin.

Research paper thumbnail of Australian freshwater sponges with a new species of Pectispongilla (Porifera: Demospongiae: Spongillida)

Zootaxa, 2016

This paper focus on the biodiversity assessment of Australian inland water. Checklists of Austral... more This paper focus on the biodiversity assessment of Australian inland water. Checklists of Australian Spongillida are also provided with biogeographic notes together with the geographic range of all species of freshwater sponges in Australia. New discoveries on freshwater sponges are reported from ephemeral freshwater habitats in Kakadu National Park (Australia Northern Territory). Morphological analyses show that the sponges belong to Radiospongilla and Pectispongilla in the family Spongillidae. Radiospongilla cfr. philippinensis shows a single layer of radial gemmuloscleres and the absence of tangential gemmuloscleres in the gemmular theca. Pectispongilla gagudjuensis n. sp. diverges from the diagnostic traits of the four species currently assigned to the genus i.e. skeletal megascleres are dominant acanthostrongyles and less frequent acanthoxeas shorter than in the other species, microscleres are absent, and gemmules are larger than in the other species of the genus.

Research paper thumbnail of Coping with brackish water: A new species of cave-dwelling Protosuberites (Porifera: Demospongiae: Suberitidae) from the Western Mediterranean and a first contribution to the phylogenetic relationships within the genus

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Dec 31, 2016

Research paper thumbnail of Biodiversity assessment of the Lower Mekong Basin: A new species of Corvospongilla (Porifera: Spongillina: Spongillidae) from Thailand

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research), Dec 31, 2012

Research paper thumbnail of Freshwater sponges (Porifera, Spongillidae) from the Lake of Geneva, Switzerland

Revue Suisse De Zoologie, 1999

Freshwater sponges (Porifera, Spongillidae) from the Lake of Geneva, Switzerland.-A census of the... more Freshwater sponges (Porifera, Spongillidae) from the Lake of Geneva, Switzerland.-A census of the sponge fauna in shallow-waters of the Lake of Geneva, Switzerland, displayed the presence of scattered populations of Spongilla lacustris (Linnaeus, 1758), Eunapius fragilis (Leidy, 1851), Ephydatia fluviatilis (Linnaeus, 1758), and Ephydatia muelleri (Lieberkühn, 1855). Spongilla lacustris was the most frequent species, either alone or associated with other species it was present in numerous sites on a variety of substrata along the entire shoreline. The morphological analysis of specimens of S. lacustris of the Lake of Geneva compared with the type material of S. lacustris and Spongilla helvetica, shows a considerable variation of skeletal and gemmular characters. Therefore, the synonymy of S. helvetica with S. lacustris is confirmed. The study also demonstrates the existence of a rich and diversified sponge fauna in the Lake of Geneva.

Research paper thumbnail of Coping with brackish water: A new species of cave-dwelling Protosuberites Porifera: Demospongiae: Suberitidae) from the Western Mediterranean and a first contribution to the phylogenetic relationships within the genus

Zootaxa, Dec 18, 2016

We used both morphological and genetic approaches to investigate and to describe a new Mediterran... more We used both morphological and genetic approaches to investigate and to describe a new Mediterranean sponge species of the genus Protosuberites from the estuarine-anchialine Bue Marino Cave of Sardinia (Tyrrhenian Sea). The morphotraits of the specimens were compared versus congeneric species with the strongest affinities, covering the genus geographic range worldwide. Protosuberites mereui sp. nov. is light yellow, thinly encrusting, devoid of any special ectosomal skeleton, with spicular complement of tylostyles of three size classes, single or arranged in bundles/tufts, with round to suboval heads. The new species is characterized by an exclusive diagnostic trait recorded for any cave-dwelling Protosuberites i.e. suboval and basally plated resting bodies with a foraminal aperture ornate by a collar. Resting bodies were found in the basal spongin plate firmly adhering to the substratum singly or in small groups. Also the rare, small tylostyles with a sinuous shaft and a typical mushroom-like head were never recorded in the Western Mediterranean and Atlantic species of the genus. The phylogenetic reconstruction using maximum likelihood (ML) and Bayesian Inference (BI) analyses (COI, 18S rRNA, and 28S rRNA) recovered a robustly supported sister relationship between the Mediterranean P. mereui sp. nov. and Protosuberites sp. 'Panama' from the Eastern Pacific Ocean. The genetic distances based on COI sequences between all compared Protosuberites species were always higher than 2%, a value sufficient to confirm that P. mereui sp. nov. is a distinct species within the genus. Morphological and genetic analyses confirm unanimously P. mereui sp. nov. as a new species. Our results contribute to the assessment of biodiversity in anchialine/estuarine caves and increase data on sponge adaptive strategies in these extreme ecosystems.

Research paper thumbnail of Biodiversity in canopy-forming algae: Structure and spatial variability of the Mediterranean Cystoseira assemblages

Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science, Jul 1, 2018

In the Mediterranean Sea, Cystoseira species are the most important canopy-forming algae in shall... more In the Mediterranean Sea, Cystoseira species are the most important canopy-forming algae in shallow rocky bottoms, hosting high biodiverse sessile and mobile communities. A large-scale study has been carried out to investigate the structure of the Cystoseira-dominated assemblages at different spatial scales and to test the hypotheses that alpha and beta diversity of the assemblages, the abundance and the structure of epiphytic macroalgae, epilithic macroalgae, sessile macroinvertebrates and mobile macroinvertebrates associated to Cystoseira beds changed among scales. A hierarchical sampling design in a total of five sites across the Mediterranean Sea (Croatia, Montenegro, Sardinia, Tuscany and Balearic Islands) was used. A total of 597 taxa associated to Cystoseira beds were identified with a mean number per sample ranging between 141.1±6.6 (Tuscany) and 173.9±8.5(Sardinia). A high variability at small (among samples) and large (among sites) scale was generally highlighted, but the studied assemblages showed different patterns of spatial variability. The relative importance of the different scales of spatial variability should be considered to optimize sampling designs and propose monitoring plans of this habitat.

Research paper thumbnail of African planarians: <i>Dugesia aethiopica</i> sp. n. (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida) from lake Tana (NW Ethiopia)

Italian Journal of Zoology, 2002

Research paper thumbnail of Freshwater planarian diversity (Platyhelminthes: Tricladida: Dugesiidae) in Madagascar: new species, cryptic species, with a redefinition of character states

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, Jul 10, 2017

The present paper describes three new species of freshwater flatworm of the genus Dugesia from Ma... more The present paper describes three new species of freshwater flatworm of the genus Dugesia from Madagascar, by applying an integrative approach to taxonomy, combining morphological and molecular information. Further, molecular data uncovered a cryptic species diversity, enabling taxonomic assignment of several asexual populations to already known species and thus pointing to at least two more species of the genus Dugesia present on Madagascar. The paper redefines several character state conditions in species of Dugesia, relating to three types of accessory structures of the copulatory apparatus: penial annexes, atrial folds and valves, and adenodactyls. It also provides a more precise definition of character states concerning the course of the ejaculatory duct through the penis papilla. In order to be able to examine the taxonomic status, phylogenetic position and biogeography of the Malagasy Dugesia species, molecular phylogenetic analyses were performed on many populations from Madagascar and also on representatives of 27 species from across the geographic range of the genus. Our results show that Madagascar is not only rich in number of species but also in genetic diversity, thus highlighting that the biodiversity and endemicity of Malagasy freshwater planarians has been underestimated.

Research paper thumbnail of Aquatic Insects in Habitat-Forming Sponges: The Case of the Lower Mekong and Conservation Perspectives in a Global Context

Diversity, Oct 27, 2022

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Research paper thumbnail of Author response for "Collagenic architecture and morphotraits in a marine basal metazoan as a model for bioinspired applied research

Research paper thumbnail of Macroalgal forest vs sea urchin barren: Patterns of macro-zoobenthic diversity in a large-scale Mediterranean study

Marine Environmental Research, Jul 1, 2020

The study aimed at contributing to the knowledge of alternative stable states by evaluating the d... more The study aimed at contributing to the knowledge of alternative stable states by evaluating the differences of mobile and sessile macro-zoobenthic assemblages between sea urchin barrens and macroalgal forests in coastal Mediterranean systems considering a large spatial scale. Six sites (100 s km apart) were selected: Croatia, Montenegro, Sicily (Italy), Sardinia (Italy), Tuscany (Italy), and Balearic Islands (Spain). A total of 531 taxa, 404 mobile and 127 sessile macro-invertebrates were recorded. Overall, 496 and 201 taxa were found in macroalgal forests and in barrens, respectively. The results of this large-scale descriptive study have met the expectation of lower macrofauna complexity and diversity in barrens rather than in macroalgal forests, and have allowed estimating the differences in levels of diversity and the consistency of variability across Mediterranean sites. Some peculiar patterns in barrens, related to both abundance of specific taxa and to high values of beta diversity, have been evidenced.

Research paper thumbnail of A new Mediterranean ‘lithistid’ sponge, <i>Aciculites mediterranea</i> sp. nov. (Porifera: Demospongiae) from a dark marine cave in Sardinia

Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, Jun 15, 2006

Research paper thumbnail of Fin systems comparative anatomy in model Batoidea <i>Raja asterias</i> and <i>Torpedo marmorata</i>: Insights and relatioships between musculo‐skeletal layout, locomotion and morphology

Journal of Anatomy, May 1, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Sistemi naturali di biofiltrazione, di produzione e di emissione di antifouling naturali a base di spugne per l’abbattimento dell’inquinamento organico e inorganico in ambienti portuali, porti canale, ambienti lagunari, impianti di acquicoltura e industriali. SAFEAQUAPLAN (Sponges as Active FiltE...

Research paper thumbnail of A new species of stygobiont freshwater planarian (Platyhelminthes, Tricladida) from a chemoautotrophic ecosystem: the Frasassi karst in Italy

Zootaxa, Sep 25, 2017

In this paper we report a new species of Dendrocoelum from the chemoautotrophic ecosystem of the ... more In this paper we report a new species of Dendrocoelum from the chemoautotrophic ecosystem of the Frasassi hypogenic cave complex in the northeastern Apennines of Italy. Dendrocoelum leporii Stocchino & Sluys, sp. nov. is characterized by the presence of a muscular atrial valve, which is unique within the genus. Moreover, the new species is characterized also by a penis papilla with a pseudoflagellum, numerous testes situated in the ventral, dorsal and median body regions with the follicles extending to the far posterior end of the body, and a large adenodactyl with the so-called Balkan type of musculature. The new species represents the twelfth dendrocoelid species recorded for Italy. A summary is provided of the species of the family Dendrocoelidae Hallez, 1892 thus far reported for the mainland and the isles of Italy.

Research paper thumbnail of The combined cartilage growth – calcification patterns in the wing‐fins of Rajidae (Chondrichthyes): A divergent model from endochondral ossification of tetrapods

Microscopy Research and Technique

The relationship between cartilage growth – mineralization patterns were studied in adult Rajidae... more The relationship between cartilage growth – mineralization patterns were studied in adult Rajidae with X‐ray morphology/morphometry, undecalcified resin‐embedded, heat‐deproteinated histology and scanning electron microscopy. Morphometry of the wing‐fins, nine central rays of the youngest and oldest specimens documented a significant decrement of radials mean length between inner, middle and outer zones, but without a regular progression along the ray. This suggests that single radial length growth is regulated in such a way to align inter‐radial joints parallel to the wing metapterygia curvature. Trans‐illumination and heat‐deproteination techniques showed polygonal and cylindrical morphotypes of tesserae, whose aligned pattern ranged from mono‐columnar, bi‐columnar, and multi‐columnar up to the crustal‐like layout. Histology of tessellated cartilage allowed to identify of zones of the incoming mineral deposition characterized by enhanced duplication rate of chondrocytes with the f...

Research paper thumbnail of Three dispersal routes out of Africa: A puzzling biogeographical history in freshwater planarians

Journal of Biogeography

This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial ... more This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited and is not used for commercial purposes.

Research paper thumbnail of The complex rostral morphology and the endoskeleton ossification process of two adult samples of Xiphias gladius (Xiphiidae)

Research paper thumbnail of Sponges (Porifera: Spongillida) as ecological indicators for parasitic protozoans Cryptosporidium and Giardia infective stages in freshwater ecosystems

Research paper thumbnail of Long-term turnover of the sponge fauna in Faro Lake (North-East Sicily, Mediterranean Sea)

Italian Journal of Zoology, 2016

The paper focuses on the long-term taxonomic composition and distribution of the shallow-water sp... more The paper focuses on the long-term taxonomic composition and distribution of the shallow-water sponge fauna from the meromictic-anchialine coastal basin Faro Lake (Southern Italy), comparing recent qualitative field data with literature data over a 50-year period. The Faro Lake shallow water currently hosts 24 conspicuous species of Porifera belonging to 21 genera, 18 families, eight orders, three subclasses and two classes, i.e. Demospongiae (23) and Calcarea (one). The comparison between the present and past status of the sponge fauna showed a high turnover, with 15 new colonizers and only nine persistent species. Thirteen species reported in the literature are missing, suggesting the occurrence of remarkable changes in the faunal composition during the last 50 years. The analysis of the geographic distribution of each species allowed us to outline the prevalent North Atlantic affinity of the sponge community. Worthy of note is the new record of the alien calcareous sponge Paraleucilla magna of cryptogenic origin.

Research paper thumbnail of Australian freshwater sponges with a new species of Pectispongilla (Porifera: Demospongiae: Spongillida)

Zootaxa, 2016

This paper focus on the biodiversity assessment of Australian inland water. Checklists of Austral... more This paper focus on the biodiversity assessment of Australian inland water. Checklists of Australian Spongillida are also provided with biogeographic notes together with the geographic range of all species of freshwater sponges in Australia. New discoveries on freshwater sponges are reported from ephemeral freshwater habitats in Kakadu National Park (Australia Northern Territory). Morphological analyses show that the sponges belong to Radiospongilla and Pectispongilla in the family Spongillidae. Radiospongilla cfr. philippinensis shows a single layer of radial gemmuloscleres and the absence of tangential gemmuloscleres in the gemmular theca. Pectispongilla gagudjuensis n. sp. diverges from the diagnostic traits of the four species currently assigned to the genus i.e. skeletal megascleres are dominant acanthostrongyles and less frequent acanthoxeas shorter than in the other species, microscleres are absent, and gemmules are larger than in the other species of the genus.