Taxonomy and Phylogeny of the Family Suberitidae (Porifera: Demospongiae) in California

This study presents a comprehensive taxonomic revision of the family
Suberitidae (Porifera: Demospongiae) for California, USA. We include the
three species previously known from the region, document two additional
species previously known from other regions, and formally describe four
new species as Pseudosuberites latke sp. nov., Suberites californiana sp.
nov., Suberites kumeyaay sp. nov., and Suberites agaricus sp. nov.
Multi-locus DNA sequence data is presented for seven of the nine species,
and was combined with all publicly available data to produce the most
comprehensive global phylogeny for the family to date. By integrating
morphological and genetic data, we show that morphological characters may
be sufficient for regional species identification but are likely
inadequate for global classification into genera that reflect the
evolutionary history of the family. We therefore propose that DNA
sequencing is a critical component to support future taxonomic revisions.