TY  - JOUR
AB  - Correct identification and classification of sponges is challenging due to ambiguous or misleading morphological features. A particular case is a blue keratose sponge occasionally referred to as the “Blue Photo Sponge” among aquarists, which appears frequently (and in several cases unintended) in private aquaria. This spicule-less species, occasionally specified as <i>Collospongia auris</i> Bergquist, Cambie & Kernan 1990, not only displays a high phenotypic plasticity in growth form and colour, it also proliferates in aquacultures under standard conditions unlike most other sponges. Therefore, this species is regarded as a pest for most aquarists. In turn, the ease of cultivation and propagation in aquacultures qualifies this species as a model organism for a wide array of scientific applications. For these purposes, correct identification and classification are indispensable. We reconstructed ribosomal gene trees and determined this species as <i>Lendenfeldia chondrodes</i> (De Laubenfels, 1954) (Phyllospongiinae), distant to <i>Collospongia auris</i>, and corroborated by skeletal features. Additionally, the resulting phylogeny corroborated major shortcomings of the current Phyllospongiinae classification—its consequences are discussed.
A1  - Galitz, A.
A1  - Cook, S. de C.
A1  - Ekins, M.
A1  - Hooper, J.N.A.
A1  - Naumann, P.T.
A1  - de Voogd, N.J.
A1  - Abdul Wahab, M.
A1  - Wörheide, G.
A1  - Erpenbeck, D.
DO  - 10.7717/peerj.5586
JO  - PeerJ
C1  - 6: e5586
TI  - Identification of an aquaculture poriferan “Pest with Potential” and its phylogenetic implications
UR  - https://peerj.com/articles/5586/
VL  - 6
PY  - 2018
Y2  - 2026-09-10
ER  -