Endemic sponge Lubomirskia baikalensis as a bioindicator of chemical elements pollution in Lake Baikal.

To evaluate the prospects of using Baikal endemic sponges as bioindicators of chemical elements pollution, the elemental composition of sponges, water and substrate samples, collected in two areas with different levels of anthropogenic loading of the Baikal Lake, was determined using two analytical techniques. The content of Cl, Ca, V, Zn, As, Se, Ba, Cd, and Cu in the sponges collected in Listvennichny Bay was significantly higher than in Bolshye Koty Bay. The values of the pollution indices point at the slight to moderate pollution of the substrates.

Metavirome datasets from two endemic Baikal sponges .

Sponges are ecologically important components of marine and freshwater benthic environments; these holobionts contain a variety of microorganisms and viruses. For the metagenomic characterization of potential taxonomic and functional diversity of sponge-associated dsDNA viruses, we surveyed two samples of Baikal endemic sponge (diseased and visually healthy). In total, after quality processing, we have obtained 3 375 063 and 4 063 311 reads; of these 97 557 and 88 517 sequences, accounting for ca.

A new species of Baikal endemic sponges (Porifera, Demospongiae, Spongillida, Lubomirskiidae).

This paper reports on a new species of the Baikal endemic sponge (fam. Lubomirskiidae) The description of this species is based on morphological and molecular data (ITS and mitochondrial IGRs). Morphologically, differs from by loose tracts arranged in an irregular network as well as the presence on strongyles of compound spines looking like tubercles densely ornamented with simple spines.

Diversity and shifts of the bacterial community associated with Baikal sponge mass mortalities.

The disease of freshwater sponges was first discovered in 2011, when pink samples were found in the Central Basin of Lake Baikal. Subsequently, the visible signs of the disease have changed, and now sponges appear with various symptoms of damage to the body, such as discoloration, tissue necrosis, the formation of brown patches and dirty-purple biofilms on some branches. These signs of the disease are accompanied by the mass death of sponges.

The complete mitochondrial genome of (Lubomirskiidae): description and phylogenetic analysis.

The complete mitochondrial genome of the Lake Baikal sponge was sequenced. The circular mitochondrial genome is 28,327 bp in length and includes 14 protein-coding genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes and 25 transfer RNA genes. Bayesian comparative analysis of molecular evolution rates was found no acceleration of the mtDNA evolution of .