New carnivorous sponges (Porifera, Poecilosclerida) collected from manned submersibles in the deep Pacific

Abstract

Nine new species of carnivorous sponges, namely Cladorhiza segonzaci, Chondrocladia koltuni, Chondrocladia lampadiglobus, Asbestopluma agglutinans, Asbestopluma (Helophloeina) formosa, Abyssocladia huitzilopochtli, Abyssocladia inflata, Abyssocladia dominalba and Abyssocladia naudur, are described. The subgenus Helophloeina Topsent, 1929 and the genus Abyssocladia Lévi, 1964 are revived and redefined, with an identification key for Abyssocladia which at present includes seven species. Eight of the sponges were collected from the French IFREMER manned submersible Nautile near active hydrothermal sites of the East Pacific Rise and of the North Fiji and Lau Basins, one from the Russian submersible Mir 2 in the Northwest Pacific near Bering Island, and one from the US submersible Alvin south of Easter Island. Their life conditions are described from direct observations from the submersibles. Some remarks are presented on the taxonomy of Cladorhizidae and more generally of carnivorous Poecilosclerida. The study suggests a very high degree of diversity in the deep Pacific carnivorous sponges. © 2006 The Linnean Society of London.