Shallow waters demosponges of the Galápagos Islands

Abstract

Descriptions and illustrations are presented for 45 sponge species from shallow waters of the Galápagos Islands, obtained from collections made by the South East Pacific Biological Oceanographic Programme (SEPBOP) 1966 and W.D. Hope in 1978 deposited in the National Museum of Natural History, Washington. Twenty two previously known species are described, most new record for this area, one a new combination: Higginsia papillosa Thiele, transfered to Halicnemia. Twenty three species of the genera Plakina, Plakortis, Penares, Stelletta, Dercitus, Corallisfes, Cinachyrella, Chondrilla, Sigmosceptrella, Polymastia, Quasillina, Tethya, Phakellia, Halicnemia, Spongosorites, Aulospongus, Lissodemloryx, Oceanapia, and Cacospongia, are new to science. Definitions of genera and families are briefly discussed. Comparisons made with many type specimens of species from the NE, Central and SE Pacific areas.