A New Species of Spongilla (Porifera, Demospongiae) from a Karst Lake in Ha Long Bay (Vietnam)

Researchers have identified Spongilla manconiae, a new species of freshwater sponge, thriving in the extreme and fluctuating conditions of Cahong Lake within Ha Long Bay's Cat Ba Archipelago. This discovery highlights the lake's unique environmental pressures, characterized by significant variations in salinity, temperature, and pH due to monsoonal influences, which typically deter most marine life. The study employed genetic barcoding using mitochondrial Cytochrome C Oxidase subunit 1 (COI) and nuclear Internal Transcribed Spacers (ITSs) markers, revealing substantial genetic divergence from other spongillid species, underscoring its distinct evolutionary path. This finding emphasizes the urgency to protect such fragile marine lake systems, which may serve as hotspots for rapid speciation processes.

Calcinai, B., Cerrano, C., Núñez-Pons, L., Pansini, M., Thung, D. C., & Bertolino, M. (2020). A New Species of Spongilla (Porifera, Demospongiae) from a Karst Lake in Ha Long Bay (Vietnam). Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 8(12), 1008. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse8121008