Seven new species of sponges (Porifera) from deep-sea coral mounds at Campos Basin (SW Atlantic)

Deep-sea reefs and coral banks are increasingly known as highly biodiverse ecosystems where sponges constitute a significant proportion of builders and inhabitants. Albeit smaller in dimensions, Campos Basin coral mounds also harbor a rich associated fauna, whence only 16 species of sponges had been...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inHelgoland marine research Vol. 70; no. 1; p. 1
Main Authors de S. Carvalho, M., Lopes, D. A., Cosme, B., Hajdu, E.
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Heidelberg BioMed Central 01.12.2016
Subjects
Coral reefs
Corals
Deep sea
Deep sea environments
Deep water
Dimensions
Echinostylinos
Endemism
Fauna
Harbors
Marine fishes
Marine invertebrates
Mounds
New species
R&D
Research & development
Sponges
Brazil
South Africa
Rio de Janeiro Brazil
Campos Basin
West Africa
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Summary:Deep-sea reefs and coral banks are increasingly known as highly biodiverse ecosystems where sponges constitute a significant proportion of builders and inhabitants. Albeit smaller in dimensions, Campos Basin coral mounds also harbor a rich associated fauna, whence only 16 species of sponges had been fully identified this far. Seven new species are described here, viz. Geodia garoupa sp. nov., Vulcanella stylifera sp. nov., Trachyteleia australis sp. nov., Echinostylinos brasiliensis sp. nov., Xestospongia kapne sp. nov., Sympagella tabachnicki sp. nov., and Leucopsacus barracuda sp. nov. Of the 24 species of sponges known from the area, only seven were found elsewhere too, thus suggesting a possible high endemism in Campos Basin. Nevertheless, the widespread occurrence of deep reef-framework building corals along a large sector of the Brazilian coast suggests these habitats and their associated fauna may be more widespread than currently appreciated. Echinostylinos patriciae nom. nov. is proposed for the New Zealand record of E. reticulatus.
ISSN:1438-387X
1438-3888
DOI:10.1186/s10152-016-0461-z