New records of Calcareous sponges (Porifera, Calcarea) from the Chilean coast

• Main Authors: Azevedo, F., Hajdu, E., Willenz, P., Klautau, M.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2009
• Subjects: Calcarea [calcareous sponges]; Porifera [Sponges]; Antarctic; The Antarctic; Antarctic Peninsula; Pacific; Antarc*
• Online Access: http://www.vliz.be/nl/open-marien-archief?module=ref&refid=239355

The present study is part of a large international effort to inventory the markedly underestimated sponge diversity in the coastal south-eastern Pacific, and figure its biotic affinities with neighbouring faunas in the Antarctic peninsula, in the south-western Atlantic and in the tropical eastern Pacific. Collections were assembled between 2003 and 2007 from 20 Chilean localities, at depths varying from 8 to 35 m. Thirty nine specimens of calcareous sponges were collected totaling 7 species which are described here, 6 being new to science. Four species belong to Calcinea ( Clathrina antofagastensis sp. nov. , Clathrina fjordica sp. nov. , Guancha ramose sp. nov. , and Leucaltis nuda sp. nov. ), and 3 to Calcaronea ( Leucosolenia australis, Sycon huinayense sp. nov. , and Sycettusa chilensis sp. nov. ).