Studies on the Freshwater Sponges of Bangladesh

Abstract

Field survey was carried out in different locations of Bangladesh in search of Freshwater Sponge. A total of eight species belonging to five genera are described with illustrations and notes on their ecology. The encountered genera and species are: (i) Corvospongilla bhavnagarensis Soota, Pattanayak and saxena, (ii) Corvospongilla sp. (iii) Eunapius crasstssrmus Alu1andale, (iv) Eunapius carteri Bowerbank, (v) Pectispongilla aurea Annandale, (vi) Radiospongilla cinerea Carter, (vii) Spongilla alba Carter and (viii) Spongilla lacustris Linnaeus. The developmental stages and physiology of E. carteri is also reported. Global distribution of the genera of Family Spongillidae reported from Bangladesh are also taken into account.