Sponge Biodiversity of Beauchene and the Sea Lion Islands and South-East East Falkland, Falkland Islands, with a Description of Nine New Species

• Main Authors: Goodwin, Claire, Jones, Jennifer, Neely, Karen L., Brickle, Paul
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: NSUWorks 2016
• Subjects: Sponge; Falkland Islands; Biogeography; Scuba diving; Taxonomy; Marine Biology; Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology; Brandy Islands; Lion Island; Green Island
• Online Access: https://nsuworks.nova.edu/occ_facarticles/954

Sponge samples were taken by scuba diving from six sites around Sea Lion Island (Sea Lion, Sea Lion Easterly and Brandy Islands), three sites south-east of East Falkland (Motley Island, Green Island and Triste Island) and six sites around Beaucheˆne Island. Nine new species are described: Iophon roseum sp. nov., Clathria (Microciona) tenebrosa sp. nov., Clathria (Microciona) cheeki sp. nov., Hymedesmia (Hymedesmia) laptikhovskyi sp. nov., Hymedesmia (Hymedesmia) croftsae sp. nov., Myxilla (Ectyomyxilla) beauchenensis sp. nov., Tedania (Tedania) livida sp. nov., Amphilectus fimbriatus sp. nov. and Isodictya cutisanserina sp nov. Additional information is provided on several species recently described from the Falkland Islands and Amphimedon marsei is newly reported. The biogeography of the sponge fauna of the southern Falkland Islands is discussed.