Freshwater Sponge Species Research Articles

Latitudinal distribution of freshwater sponge species across European Russia

This study provides original faunistic data on freshwater sponge dispersal across a huge territory of European Russia from north to south, highlighting the northern limits of thermophilic and north-adapted species. The holarctic species Ephydatia muelleri and, especially, Spongilla lacustris were predominant in northern areas, while the cosmopolitan Ephydatia fluviatilis and Eunapius fragilis were less prevalent. Moving to the south, E. fluviatilis took the lead. The distributional pattern of northern sponges aligns with literature data from North Europe, confirming the prevalence of the holarctic species in high latitudes. Tubella (=Trochospongilla) horrida, Eunapius carteri, and Radiospongilla cerebellata are considered to be thermophilic species that could not tolerate the conditions in northern regions. Notable findings include the extension of Eunapius carteri's known range and the first report of R. cerebellata within Russia, which is also the second record for Europe. Three potentially expected species were not found in the studied area, indicating regional rarity. We also provide molecular and morphological evidence for the synonymy of Spongilla arctica and Spongilla lacustris. Finally, we discuss the impacts of climate change and agricultural activities on northern and southern sponge habitats respectively.

Freshwater Sponges as a Neglected Reservoir of Bacterial Biodiversity.

Freshwater sponges (Spongillida: Demospongiae), including more than 240 described species, are globally distributed in continental waters (except for Antarctica), where they cover both natural and artificial surfaces. However, fragmentary studies have targeted their microbiome, making it difficult to test hypotheses about sponge-microbe specificity and metabolic relationships, along with the environmental factors playing key roles in structuring the associated microbial communities. To date, particular attention has been paid to sponges (family Lubomirskiidae) that are endemic to Lake Baikal. Few other freshwater sponge species (e.g., Ephydatia spp., Eunapius spp., and Spongilla lacustris), from lakes and rivers spanning from Europe to South and North America, have been targeted for microbiological studies. Representatives of the phyla Proteobacteria, Bacteroidetes, and Actinobacteria largely predominated, and high differences were reported between the microbiome of freshwater and marine sponges. Several bacterial strains isolated from freshwater sponges can produce bioactive compounds, mainly showing antibiotic activities, with potential application in biotechnology. Understanding the roles played by sponge microbiomes in freshwater ecosystems is still in its infancy and has yet to be clarified to disentangle the ecological and evolutionary significance of these largely under-investigated microbial communities. This review was aimed at providing the main available information on the composition and biotechnological potential of prokaryotic communities associated with healthy freshwater sponges, as a neglected component of the global sponge microbiome, to stimulate researchers interested in the field.

The Utilityof 28S rDNA for Barcoding of Freshwater Sponges (Porifera, Spongillida)

Sponges (Porifera, Spongillida) make up the bulk of the benthic biomass in Lake Baikal and are represented by the family Lubomirskiidae, a collection of endemic species, and several species of the cosmopolitan family Spongillidae. We conducted an analysis of the D3 domain of the 28S rDNA of 16 freshwater sponge species. Based on molecular data, we were able to identify all of the collected Spongillidae specimens whose identification was difficult due to the lack of gemmules. Phylogenetic trees have shown that Ephydatia muelleri, Spongilla lacustris, and Eunapius fragilis formed monophyletic clades, and the D3 domain of the 28S rDNA can be used for their DNA barcoding. For the Baikal sponges, the use of this marker is important since the gemmule-less Spongillidae and Lubomirskiidae are, in some cases, indistinguishable from each other in morphology. The 28S rDNA has been shown to be useful for family and species-level identification of freshwater sponges within the Spongillida.

Hidden shelter-like associations of minute Alboglossiphonia leeches (Hirudinea: Glossiphoniidae) with sedentary animals and molluscs

Freshwater leeches are a diverse group of annelid worms, some of which may serve as endosymbionts of various freshwater invertebrates, being commensals and parasites. However, the nature of such hidden associations is poorly understood. Here, we describe the first record of a freshwater leech – sponge association ever discovered. A small fragment of an unidentified and probably new freshwater sponge species (Porifera: Spongillidae) from India was heavily infested by numerous juvenile leeches Alboglossiphonia pahariensis Nesemann & Sharma, 2007 (Hirudinea: Glossiphoniidae), which were found in chironomid larvae (Diptera: Chironomidae: Xenochironomus sp.) burrows, penetrating the sponge’s body. The taxonomic identification of the leech was confirmed by means of an integrative approach combining morphological and DNA-based evidence. Furthermore, we present a finding of Alboglossiphonia bhamoensissp. nov. from the mantle cavity of a freshwater mussel species in Myanmar. These new records are discussed within a broader ecological and evolutionary context based on a review of the body of available literature on hidden shelter-like and parasitic associations of leeches with gastropods, bivalves, and sedentary animals in freshwater environments.

Freshwater sponge hosts and their green algae symbionts: a tractable model to understand intracellular symbiosis.

In many freshwater habitats, green algae form intracellular symbioses with a variety of heterotrophic host taxa including several species of freshwater sponge. These sponges perform important ecological roles in their habitats, and the poriferan:green algae partnerships offers unique opportunities to study the evolutionary origins and ecological persistence of endosymbioses. We examined the association between Ephydatia muelleri and its chlorophyte partner to identify features of host cellular and genetic responses to the presence of intracellular algal partners. Chlorella-like green algal symbionts were isolated from field-collected adult E. muelleri tissue harboring algae. The sponge-derived algae were successfully cultured and subsequently used to reinfect aposymbiotic E. muelleri tissue. We used confocal microscopy to follow the fate of the sponge-derived algae after inoculating algae-free E. muelleri grown from gemmules to show temporal patterns of symbiont location within host tissue. We also infected aposymbiotic E. muelleri with sponge-derived algae, and performed RNASeq to study differential expression patterns in the host relative to symbiotic states. We compare and contrast our findings with work in other systems (e.g., endosymbiotic Hydra) to explore possible conserved evolutionary pathways that may lead to stable mutualistic endosymbioses. Our work demonstrates that freshwater sponges offer many tractable qualities to study features of intracellular occupancy and thus meet criteria desired for a model system.

Phylogenomic inference of the interrelationships of Lake Baikal sponges

The endemic sponges of Lake Baikal are vital components of one of the most unique ecosystems on the planet. To date we have yet to satisfactorily resolve their systematic relationships. Their relatively slow rates of molecular change, a short branch length to the common ancestor of extant species, and very plastic morphology in some species make robust species assignment and differentiation difficult. Using recently published genomic and transcriptomic resources, a novel Swartschewskia papyracea transcriptome and a phylogenomic approach, we have reassessed relationships within the Lubomirskiidae, a family of freshwater sponges endemic to Lake Baikal. After orthology assessment, paralog pruning and data curation, a concatenated 2710 orthogroup, 463,187 site alignment was used to infer phylogenetic interrelationships between four members of the Lubomirskiidae, several freshwater sponge species and outgroup taxa, using Bayesian and Maximum Likelihood methods. This approach conclusively answers a number of previously recalcitrant questions. It confirms the position of Swartschewskia papyracea as the sister taxon to genera Lubomirskia and Baikalospongia. It strongly supports Lubomirskia monophyly, with Baikalospongia bacillifera as the sister taxa to the two species of Lubomirskia sampled here. It also confirms the relative branching arrangement of other common freshwater taxa, including the issue of Spongillidae paraphyly. This is key for interpreting the evolution of the Spongillida as a whole, and in particular, for understanding the evolution of the still enigmatic sponges of Lake Baikal.

An overview of the genus Radiospongilla (Porifera, Spongillida) with description of a new species from Australia.

A new species of freshwater sponges is described from Australia. The new species Radiospongilla fungosa is characterized by the following traits 'megascleres microspiny stout oxeas with scattered, small, simple spines except tips', and by having 'gemmuloscleres long, slim, spiny strongyles with scattered simple spines and hooked spines clustered at tips', 'gemmular theca with 2 layers of gemmuloscleres radially and tangentially arranged', 'pneumatic layer irregularly filamentous network (near inner layer) and thin laminae irregularly arranged (towards outer layer)'. We discuss the relationships of the new species to other members of the genus both from Australia, particularly North-Western Australia, and from other biogeographic regions on the basis of diagnostic morphotraits. An overview on the taxonomy, biogeographic pattern and phylogeny of the genus is supplied and updated to present, together with an updated identification key for Australia species. The diagnosis of the genus Radiospongilla is emended.

Two new species of freshwater sponges from Neotropical and Afrotropical Regions.

Geographic distributions of freshwater sponges are related to the geological and climatic history of the continents, on the presence of gemmules and the morphological complexity of this resistant body to withstand change. Gemmules are characteristic of the freshwater Families Spongillidae, Metaniidae and Potamolepidae. However, Acanthotylotra alvarengai, Echinospongilla brichardi and a number of other species within the genus Potamolepis do not produce gemmules. Potamolepis is endemic to the Afrotropical region with seven valid species. African freshwater sponges however, are mostly known from a single specimen (the holotype), due to the scarcity of material from these freshwater systems. In the present study, we describe two new species of non-gemmule bearing freshwater sponges from the Neotropical and Afrotropical Regions.

Study of variability of ITS1 and ITS2 spacers of rDNA of freshwater sponges (Porifera, Spongillida)

Molecular methods are especially important in the study of the taxonomy of sponges of ancient lakes, since when living at great depths, sponges lose their ability to form gemmules, and the structure of gemmules is an important taxonomic feature. However, the number of species and samples of freshwater sponges analyzed by molecular methods is insignificant today. In this work, we analyzed the variability of ITS1 and ITS2 of rDNA spacers of several species of freshwater sponges from geographically distant regions - Eastern Siberia, European Russia, Japan, and India. Our results confirmed the cosmopolitanism of the species Ephydatia fluviatilis and Spongilla lacustris and the adequacy of using ITS rDNA spacers for analyzing the phylogeny of freshwater sponges.

Hatchability of gemmules of two Neotropical freshwater sponges (Porifera: Spongillida)

ABSTRACT Inland waters experience extreme environmental conditions determining the evolution of several adaptive strategies of the fauna to these variable conditions. Freshwater sponges produce resisting bodies called gemmules that contain totipotent cells and specialized spicules (gemmuloscleres). Completely formed gemmules exhibit low metabolic rates and may become dormant during periods of environmental stress. Until now, few species had their hatchability tested against different environmental conditions. The purpose of the present study was to test the capacity of hatching gemmules of two freshwater sponge species (Heteromeyenia cristalina Batista, Volkmer-Ribeiro & Melão, 2007 and Radiospongilla inesi Nicacio & Pinheiro, 2011) from inland waters from different localities. Five assays were tested (A): A1 (water of sponge collection site); A2 (Pirangi River water); A3 (Araraquara Pond water); A4 (mineral water) and A5 (A1 after drying gemmules). For each assay, three replicates with 30 gemmules were used. The gemmules were observed daily during 30 days. Data analysis was performed using ANOVA and a posteriori Tukey test. Results showed that gemmules from both species submitted to A3 have not hatched, probably due to its very high conductivity. There was a significant difference between assays (A1, A2 and A4) and between species (F2, 12 = 77.2; P < 0.001). Comparison between A1 and A5 showed significant differences between both assays and species (F1, 8 = 27.5; P < 0.001). Radiospongilla inesi presented high hatching rate at all assays, while H. cristalina had a high hatching rate only on A1 and A5. Results clearly show that each species has a different capacity of hatching.

РАРИТЕТНІ ВИДИ ФАУНИ ПРИРОДНОГО ЗАПОВІДНИКА «МЕДОБОРИ»

The study is concerned with the study of natural and landscape conditions of the territory of the Nature Reserve "Medobory", and its historical significance in formation of the biotic diversity of Western Ukraine.
 It focuses on the research into the territory and formation of the Nature Reserve "Medobory", which covers over 9 000 ha in the central Tovtry.
 Moreover, the work highlights the ongoing studies of zoobiota in the area, and points out its significance for preserving the regional fauna (by the end of 2019 the following species were recorded: 1 species of freshwater sponge, 79 species of molluscum, 32 species of centipedes, 2170 species of insects, 15 species of fish, 11 species of amphibians, 7 species of reptiles, 197 species of birds, 55 species of mammals).
 The study also provides a detailed analysis of international lists of threatened species valid for the territory of Ukraine, and the species from the Red Book of Ukraine (the 3rd edition); as a result it identifies certain species to be under protection, such as 41 species of mammals, 187 species of birds, 18 species of amphibian and reptiles, 4 species of fish, 30 species of arthopods, 1 species of molluscum. Altogether, there are 281 species in the international lists of endangered species, which makes 11 % of the reliably ascertained fauna variety of the conservation area (2566 species). Except for the arthopods, which are scarcely represented in the international lists, there are more than 63 % of the traced representatives of fauna vertebrates under protection, according to the international lists of endangered species (251 species out of 396 known ones). For many of the animal species the natural forest stand of Medobory is a refugium, where they survived the ice age, and in some of the localities certain rare relict species have survived into the present time.
 On the territory of the Nature Reserve Medobory the following animal species enlisted internationally have been registered: IUCN Red List - 18 species, the European Red Lists of species - 28 species, the Bern Convention – 256 species, the Bonn Convention – 102 species,the Bern Convention – 256 species, the Washington Convention – 37 species. 83 animal species of the Reserve and the surrounding territory call for protection since they are listed in the Red Book of Ukraine.

АНАЛИЗ ПРОДУКТИВНОСТИ ГУБКИ ИЗ СЕМЕЙСТВА SPONGILLIDAE, ПРОИЗРАСТАЮЩЕЙ В ВОДОЕМАХ РЕКИ ВОЛГИ, В ПЕРИОД РЕГРЕССИИ КАСПИЙСКОГО МОРЯ

The article describes the habitat, systematics and species of freshwater sponge ( Badiaga spongia fluviatilis ) inhabiting water bodies of Russia. There have been characterized the hydrological features of water bodies - sponges’ habitats, and their ecological function has been characterized. In freshwater bodies of the central Russia there occur two most common and numerous types of sponges - lake badiaga ( Spongilla lacustris ) and river badiaga ( Ephydatia fluviatilis ) presenting a valuable raw material for the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industry. The attention is focused on the fact that sponge colonies can reach the commercial volumes only in the floodplain waters and the delta of the Volga River. Retrospective data on volumes of sponge fishery in the Astrakhan region suggest the reason for decreasing sponge productivity and volume of the sponge industry: a lack of reclamation works in small rivers in the Volga delta. There has been given a comparative analysis of the data on microscopic studies of sponge structure caught on experimental zones in the water bodies of the Astrakhan region and the information found in the scientific literature. Characteristics of soils where significant sponge plantations were found are analyzed. It has been stated that in the watercourses of the Astrakhan region there prevail species of lake sponge ( Spongilla lacustris ), whose biomass should increase tenfold taking into account the cyclicity of the regression processes of the Caspian Sea, carrying out complex ameliorative works on the waterways of the Volga and development of agriculture and livestock breeding. It has been recommended to prepare a scientific and production base for the rational and effective development of the potential of this natural resource for pharmaceutical and cosmetic purposes.

On the genus Racekiela in Mexico: molecular and morphological description of Racekiela cresciscrystae n. sp.

ABSTRACTIn Mexico, there are currently two known species of Racekiela: R. ryderii and R. montemflumina. Here we describe a new species from high-altitude streams in central and southern Mexico. Racekiela cresciscrystae sp. nov. presents two morphotypes: thick encrusting with raised ridges or lobose outgrowths at the surface and dark green in colour, or lime-green encrustations. The new species as megascleres presents microspined oxeas from 200 to 300 µm long, some centrotylote, or with malformations. Gemmules are spherical with a tri-layered theca, constituted by radially embedded birotules and pseudobirotules. The birotules have longer shaft than the rotule diameter, which is flat, and some slightly umbonate. Pseudobirotules of typical morphology have strongly or somewhat spined shaft. Spines can be straight or hooked. The species also presents other type of pseudobirotules, which are umbonate and with only small warts, instead of spines. DNA sequences from the nuclear ITS1-5.8-ITS2 region were sequenced from the holotype and a paratype of the new species to determine their phylogenetic relationships with other members of the family Spongillidae. Tree topologies (Bayesian Inference and Maximum Likelihood) were consistent in showing Racekiela creciscrystae sp. nov. as a sister clade of R. montemflumina confirming its allocation in a monophyletic genus Racekiela. A comparison with all the Racekiela species described so far is also included. This paper increases the number of species of freshwater sponges in Mexico, and confirmed that Racekiela is a monophyletic genus with morphological characters very well defined.http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:3769C54F-23C4-409A-AF02-81F3AA084F7Ahttp://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:A512359D-E428-4D04-B08A-E189E3F6F962

Freshwater Sponges (Porifera: Spongillida) of Tennessee

Freshwater sponges (Porifera: Spongillida) are an understudied fauna. Many U.S. state and federal conservation agencies lack fundamental information such as species lists and distribution data. Such information is necessary for management of aquatic resources and maintaining biotic diversity. During the months of June, July, and August of 2013, 2014 and 2015 a survey was conducted in Tennessee to document species of freshwater sponges and obtain preliminary distribution data. Selected rivers and streams were sampled at two to five sites. A total of 520 sponge samples were collected. Spicules and gemmules were viewed and photographed using Scanning Electron Microscopy. Thirteen or 39% of the known species of freshwater sponges occurring in the North America have been collected from Tennessee's rivers and streams. Eunapius fragilis, Spongilla lacustris, and Trochospongilla horrida were the most abundant and widely distributed species. Corvospongilla becki and Heteromeyenia latitenta were the least frequently encountered sponges.

Racekiela andina sp. nov. (Spongillida: Spongillidae): first report of a freshwater sponge from the Venezuelan Andes.

The genus Racekiela Bass & Volkmer-Ribeiro, 1998 comprises six species of freshwater sponges distributed along the Palaearctic, Nearctic and Neotropical regions (Van Soest et al. 2017). They are characterized by an isodictyal skeleton solely of acanthoxeas, sparse spongin fibers, and tri-layered gemmules with radially embedded gemmoscleres of two types, short birotules and long pseudobirotules (Manconi & Pronzato 2002; Volkmer-Ribeiro & Machado 2007). Four species occur in the Northern Hemisphere: R. biceps (Lindenschmidt, 1950) from Michigan (Lindenschmidt 1950), R. pictouensis (Potts, 1885) from eastern Canada to New York (Penney & Racek 1968), R. ryderii (Potts, 1882) which ranges from eastern North America to the British Isles, Faroes and Norway (Manconi & Pronzato 2002), and the recently described R. montemflumina Carballo, Cruz-Barraza, Yáñez & Gómez, 2017 from Northwestern Mexico (Carballo et al. 2017). It is worthy to note that R. pictouensis is considered to be an ecomorph of R. ryderii by several authors (Porrier 1977; Ricciardi & Reiswig 1993). The other two species, R. cavernicola (Volkmer-Ribeiro, Bichuette & Machado, 2010) and R. sheilae (Volkmer-Ribeiro, De Rosa-Barbosa & Tavares, 1988), are both known only from Brazil (Volkmer-Ribeiro & Machado 2007; Volkmer-Ribeiro et al. 2010). Here we describe a new member of the genus, found in lakes of high-mountain ecosystems, or páramos, in the Cordillera de Mérida. This constitutes the first record of specimens belonging to Racekiela for the Andes and Venezuela.

The Champlain Canal as a non-indigenous species corridor

Canals that link previously unconnected drainages remain one of the largely unaddressed vectors of exotic species transfer. Aquatic organisms are generally assumed to pass through canals actively, by passive movement, or mediated by boats; here, we demonstrate that population range extension within canals is also a dispersal mode. Our study was focused on the northern section of the Champlain Canal, which links Lake Champlain (Vermont-New York-Quebec) to the Hudson River. We sampled three dewatered locks in 2008, 2010, and 2011, and the canal channel in 2010 and 2011 using gillnets, minnow traps, electroshocking, hand nets, ichthyoplankton nets, benthic dredge, petit ponar, and hand picking; collections focused on fishes, plants, and molluscs. Secchi disk, dissolved oxygen, and temperature data were collected at the surface and bottom of the canal throughout the sampling period. We collected 43 fish species, one fish hybrid, 29 molluscs, 26 plants, three crayfish species, mudpuppy, and one species of freshwater sponge. Almost half of these species are exotic to one or both of the connected drainages. Among the fishes, evidence of reproduction within the canal was found for over half of the species. Thus, the Champlain Canal is not simply a route for invasions, but is a semi-natural ecosystem with a rich community of self-sustaining species. Canal construction or retro-fitting with barriers that ecologically separate the connected waterways could significantly reduce the threat of aquatic invasions.

Rare freshwater sponges of Australasia: new record of Umborotula bogorensis (Porifera: Spongillida: Spongillidae) from the Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve in Northeast Thailand

Umborotula bogorensis (Weber, 1890) is a freshwater sponge species that is recorded occasionally, mainly on islands and peninsulas of Australasia. Less than 10 records with morphological descriptions and illustrations have been published so far, and the most recent record is dated 1978. A list of the few voucher specimens from museum collections is provided here together with the rich unpublished Sasaki collection from Japan, Korea, and Taiwan, recently deposited in a Japanese museum. The present new record from Northeast Thailand enlarges the geographic range of U. bogorensis to the Indochina mainland. A comparison of historical data vs present Thai records is performed by morpho-analysis (SEM) as well as biogeographic, ecological and climatic data. Results show low variability in shape and size of the diagnostic morphotraits in populations scattered over the wide geographic range. Here we also formally accept the new taxonomic status (rank elevation) of the previous suborder Spongillina as a new order Spongillida. The presence of this potentially threatened species in the Sakaerat Biosphere Reserve, together with its possible long-term persistence in the Bogor Botanical Garden, may support its conservation. Only a census of the known, extremely scattered populations will define the status of this species.

Australian freshwater sponges with a new species of Pectispongilla (Porifera: Demospongiae: Spongillida).

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.

The sponge genus Ephydatia from the high-latitude middle Eocene: environmental and evolutionary significance.

The freshwater sponge species Ephydatia cf. facunda Weltner, 1895 (Spongillida, Spongillidae) is reported for the first time as a fossil from middle Eocene lake sediments of the Giraffe kimberlite maar in northern Canada. The sponge is represented by birotule gemmuloscleres as well as oxea megascleres. Today, E. facunda inhabits warm-water bodies, so its presence in the Giraffe locality provides evidence of a warm climate at high latitudes during the middle Eocene. The morphological similarity of the birotules to modern conspecific forms suggests protracted morphological stasis, comparable to that reported for other siliceous microfossils from the same locality.

A report of hailstorm damage to two species of freshwater sponge (Demospongiae: Haplosclerida: Spongillidae) populations of West Bengal, India

Selected freshwater bodies in Jagaddal of North 24 Parganas in West Bengal, India are inhabited by two species of sponge, Eunapius carteri (Bowerbank, 1863) and Spongilla alba (Carter, 1849) (Porifera: Demospongiae: Spongillidae). Most of these wetlands are perennial ponds without a history of aquaculture and toxin contamination. On 22 March 2014, the entire area of Jagaddal experienced an unprecedented hailstorm associated with a sharp decline of environmental temperature from 35 0C to 21 0C within 10–15 minutes. The hailstorm associated with torrential rain lasted for about 30 minutes. The natural habitat of the sponge was visited after six hours of the hailstorm in open day light conditions. During the field investigation, we recorded large-scale damage to the populations of E. carteri and S. alba. Macroscopic observation revealed that the fragmentation of body masses were also associated with cellular disintegration of the external surface. Sponge cells were experimentally dissociated from the sponge fragments and subjected to dye exclusion assay. A vital dye (trypan blue) exclusion assay of sponge fragments confirmed a high degree of mortality of the cells of E. carteri and S. alba. Hailstorm associated with the decline of environmental temperature down to 21 0C resulted in the mass destruction of these two species of sponges in their natural habitat. Any unprecedented and acute change in the climatic and hydrological parameter may lead to physiological adversity in the freshwater sponge. Subsequently, recovery from cold shock and mechanical stresses was overcome and a regeneration of sponge specimens was recorded within a period of around six months from the date of the hailstorm.