Three new species of Geodia Lamarck, 1815 (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the bathyal depths off Brazilian coast, Southwestern Atlantic

Abstract

Three new species of Geodia Lamarck, 1815 (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the bathyal depths off Brazilian coast, Southwestern Atlantic. -This work comprises a taxonomic study of tetractinellid sponges from a poorly known region in the southwestern Atlantic, off the Rio Grande do Sul State coast, Brazil (31°05′-32°00′S/49°31′-50°00′W). Samples were collected by R/V "Atlântico Sul" of Fundação Universidade do Rio Grande in a continental slope survey ("Projeto Talude") and R/V "Prof. W. Besnard", of Institute Oceanográfico da Universidade de São Paulo/Group for the Development of the Fisheries Industry, in Rio Grande do Sul I Cruise. Three new species are described: Geodia australis, G. splendida and G. riograndensis.