An Outline of Ph.D.

Proposal
entitled
STUDIES ON TAXONOMY, ECOLOGY AND HABITATS OF
FRESHWATER SPONGES FROM NORTH MAHARASHTRA, INDIA.
(Porifera: Spongillida: Spongillidae)

Submitted to
Savitribai Phule Pune University
by
Surekha V. Gunjal

Under the Guidance of

Dr. Sudhakar M. Kurhade
Professor, Department of Zoology
New Arts, commerce and Science College, Shevgaon, Dist. Ahmednagar
Co-guide
Dr.R.S.Pandit
Professor and Head, Department of Zoology,
Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune
AT
P.G. Department of Zoology and Research centre
New Arts, commerce and Science College, Ahmednagar 414001(M.S.)
INTRODUCTION
The phylum Porifera, which is also known as parazoa in Latin, means pore
bearers.
Family spongillidae is the solitary representative of Porifera in the freshwater
habitats.
This family is composed of about hundred and fifty species, which are common in
clean ponds, lakes, streams and rivers.
They remain obscure due to their dull brown, gray, sometimes green and yellow
coloration and because they are submerged often elude attraction.
The sponges are generally found attached to any object like stones and rocks,
floating logs of wood, stems of aquatic plants or tips of the branches that
overhang the water (Tonapi, 1980).
In worldwide 219 species are known to fresh water sponges and in an India 30
species belong to 10 genera in single family spongillidae ( Soota 1991).
All fresh water sponges belong to suborder spongillina, order Haplosclerida and
sub order include 44 genera under six family (Manconi and pronzato, 2002).
In Maharashtra and India, literature on freshwater sponge diversity,
biology, ecology, taxonomy and biology is very scanty.
The pioneering work was carried by Annandale.
Tonapi (1964) reported freshwater sponges of Poona. Devashri (2006)
recorded freshwater sponges from Rajasthan.
Jamdade and Deshpande (2014) reported fresh water sponges’ fauna from
Satara.
Tonapi (1980) mentioned that after Annandale’s (1911) classical volume on
freshwater sponges of India, there has been no work on this most
ubiquitous group.
The use of SEM for the identification of sponges has been attempted in
recent literature but very few studies are documented in Maharashtra.
SEM has been attempted by some researchers in different regions;
whereas present study is the first attempt from north Maharashtra, India.
Study Area
The main study areas, from where the sponges will be collected are
the reservoirs from North Maharashtra, India.
North Maharashtra has five districts, Ahmednagar, Nashik, Dhule,
Jalgaon, and Nandurbar. A climate of Ahmednagar is hot and dry in
summer except during south west monsoon season, in hilly western
part of district climate is slightly cool. The average annual rainfall is
501.8mm. Nashik climate is classified as tropical. The average annual
temperature is 24.7oc and about 812mm average rainfall annually.
The average annual temperature of Dhule is 26.9oc and about
612mm average rainfall annually. Climate of Jalgaon and Nandurbar
are hot and dry, in Nandurbar average rainfall is 767mm.
Geographic coordinate are 200 oo’36”N 780 46’48”E. Total area of
North Maharashtra is 57,268 km2.
Need for research
Sponges play important role in purification of freshwater
ecosystem as they are active filter feeders. They are itself
selective microhabitat and are host to diverse organisms like
metazoans, algae and bacteria. This study will add valuable
information in the faunal resources of Maharashtra and may
be in India. The sponges are sessile and sedentary animal so
produces secondary metabolites which are having
pharmaceutical properties. The North Maharashtra is still
virgin as per as the studies on taxonomy, diversity and habitat
of freshwater sponges are concern.
Aims and Objectives
1. To survey the freshwater resources from study area for freshwater
sponges.
2. To study the taxonomy and diversity of freshwater sponges of study
area.
3. To study the substratum preference and distribution of sponges in the
study area.
4. To study the seasonal abundance.
5. To prepare checklist of freshwater sponges of the region.
6. To prepare taxonomic key (if required).
Methodology
The freshwater resources of North Maharashtra will be surveyed for the freshwater
sponges.
Methodology for collection and identification of sponges:
The colonies of dry and live sponges will be collected along with substratum if possible
or colonies will be scraped in collection bottles.
Live colonies will be observed for colony morphology. The colonies will be preserved in
70% alcohol for further analysis.
The spicules of colony and gemmules will be prepared separately by boiling with
conc.HNO3, and dehydrating with ethanol. Spicules will be mounted in DPX.
(Shriraj S. Jakhalekar& H. V. Ghate (2013)) for observation under light microscope.
For taxonomic identification of the species SEM images of spicules will be prepared
and standard keys will be followed.
Methodology for sampling and analysis of water samples:
Water samples will be collected once a month from all identified sampling
stations for physico-chemical analysis. Sampling will be done through plastic container.
The physical parameters like Temperature, Electrical conductivity and pH will be
measured in the field, while other parameters like suspended solids, total dissolved
solids, turbidity, salinity, alkalinity, chloride, dissolved oxygen, hardness, nitrogen,
phosphate & sulphate will be estimated as per standard methods by APHA(2005) in
the laboratory.
The various physical and chemical water quality parameters will be analysed
through the following methods:
The substratum preference and species GPS location will be used to prepare the
distribution map and habitat preference of the identified species.

Parameter Method
Physical parameter:
1.Temperature Thermometer
2. Electrical conductivity Electrometric Method
3. pH Electrometric Method
4. Suspended solids By Standard Method
5. Total Dissolved Solid (TDS) By Standard Method
6. Turbidity Nephelometric Method
7.Salinity Electrical conductivity Method
Chemical Parameter:
8. Alkalinity Volumetric Acid Base Titration
9.Chloride Argentometric Titration Method
10.Dissolved Oxygen (DO) Azide Modification Method
11.Hardness Complexometric Method
12.Nitrogen Macro-Kjedahal Method
13. Phosphate Stannous Chloride Method
14.Sulphate Turbidimetric Method
Plan of work:
Month wise planning of work
Sr.No Month Planning of research work
1 0-6 months Literature Survey and selection of
collection sites from study area.
2 6-12 months Collection and preservation of fresh
water sponge specimens.
3 12-18 months Preparation of spicule and gemmules
slides for identification of sponges with
the help of standard identification keys.
Submission of progress report after every
six month
4 18-24 months Observation of spicules and gemmules
under light microscope and their
photography in SEM
5 24-30 months Report writing and submission of thesis.
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