Addition to Sweden’s freshwater sponge fauna and a phylogeographic study of Spongilla lacustris (Spongillida, Porifera) in southern Sweden

Freshwater sponges constitute an overlooked part of the freshwater fauna in Sweden and there has been no recent systematic survey. Hitherto three species have found Sweden: Spongilla lacustris (Linnaeus, 1759), Ephydatia fluviatilis 1759) E. muelleri (Lieberkühn, 1856). Neighbouring countries (Norway, Denmark, Estonia) harbour at least one additional species. We present a study on sponge diversity distribution southern half Sweden. hypothesized dispersal within catchments to be less constrained than between, even shorter intercatchment intracatchment distances, and, as result, genetic distances being greater between catchments. collected identified from 34 sites, using morphological molecular data (coxI, 28S rRNA gene). can report presence Eunapius fragilis (Leidy, 1851) for first time, that S. is most abundant widely distributed Genetic markers were tested individuals phylogeographic study. From 47 primers (24 markers), pair presented successful amplification enough variation studies – i56, intron located conserved gene. Seven different variants sampling area, but clear population structure was observed.