2. Sponges (Phylum Porifera)
Wilson (1900) produced he
port on the t onomy of sponges rom dee
PR and the USVI from s
Fish Hawk
in 1
i
31 species in the Class Demospongiae. M. W. de Laubenfels
(19
24
species
llections by
hnson
Smithsonian Expedition in 1933. Representative species in the Class Calcispongiae
(Leucosolen
) and the C
Ceratoporella nicholso
Gorea
ere
rted by
om pers
vat
SCUBA divi
s of Mona and Desecheo. The most recent review of
sponges
ean
produ
st (1978,
Inclu
several geo
dep ecords
aecía et al (this volu
l
of 96 spec
are
sently reported for Puerto Rico and the U. S.
Islands a
0 m
ble 12).
by Van S
8, 19
evident that many species reported to occur on shallow reefs o
shelf, were
found in dee
rowi on sandy
ubstrate
Below depths of 30 meters, sponges rep
t prominen
rtebra
terms o
ver
sla Des
a fundam
role a
protec
r fishes and motile benthic invertebrates
ía et a
volume).
sp
e (Agela
d row-p
A
spp.) are
ecie
terms
cover
lly g
association
nian corals (Montastrea annularis, M. ca
a, Ag
forming spo
herm hat con
ally to the
ll und
reef topography or rugosity.
Sclerospo
ps t
argest
vertebra
tributin
topograp
ree
f the Wes
he species a
stly
cavernico
lling
depths o
meters, b
pths
more, they m
on
osed face
g with deep
stony
s for
t first re
ax
f
p reefs of
pecimens collected by the “
” expedition
899. This
nitial report included
34) described another
new
from the co
the Jo
-
ia canariensis
lass Sclerospongiae (
ni and
uiella auriculata) w
repo
Colin (1978) fr
onal obser ions while
ng in the oceanic island
from the Caribb
was
ced by Van Soe
1980).
ding
graphical and
th r
contributed by G
me), a tota
ies of sponges
pre
Virgin
t depths below 3
(Ta
In the study
oest (197
80) it was
f the insular
per waters g
ng
and muddy s
s.
re
s
sent the mo
t inve
te taxa in
f reef substrate co
at I
echeo, and play
ental
s
tive microhabitat fo
(Garc
l., this
The brown tube ong
s conifera) an
ore sponges ( plysina
the dominant sp
s in
of reef substrate
an
ca
vernos
d typi
row in
with scleracti
aricia spp.)
nge-coral bio
s t
tribute substanti
overa
erwater
nges are perha
he l
sessile-benthic in
te con
g
hic relief in deep
fs o
t Indies. T
re mo
lous (cave-dwe
) at
f less than 40
ut at de
of 70 m or
ay be found
exp
s, competin
-water
coral
53
Wilson (1900) produced he
port on the t onomy of sponges rom dee
PR and the USVI from s
Fish Hawk
in 1
i
31 species in the Class Demospongiae. M. W. de Laubenfels
(19
24
species
llections by
hnson
Smithsonian Expedition in 1933. Representative species in the Class Calcispongiae
(Leucosolen
) and the C
Ceratoporella nicholso
Gorea
ere
rted by
om pers
vat
SCUBA divi
s of Mona and Desecheo. The most recent review of
sponges
ean
produ
st (1978,
Inclu
several geo
dep ecords
aecía et al (this volu
l
of 96 spec
are
sently reported for Puerto Rico and the U. S.
Islands a
0 m
ble 12).
by Van S
8, 19
evident that many species reported to occur on shallow reefs o
shelf, were
found in dee
rowi on sandy
ubstrate
Below depths of 30 meters, sponges rep
t prominen
rtebra
terms o
ver
sla Des
a fundam
role a
protec
r fishes and motile benthic invertebrates
ía et a
volume).
sp
e (Agela
d row-p
A
spp.) are
ecie
terms
cover
lly g
association
nian corals (Montastrea annularis, M. ca
a, Ag
forming spo
herm hat con
ally to the
ll und
reef topography or rugosity.
Sclerospo
ps t
argest
vertebra
tributin
topograp
ree
f the Wes
he species a
stly
cavernico
lling
depths o
meters, b
pths
more, they m
on
osed face
g with deep
stony
s for
t first re
ax
f
p reefs of
pecimens collected by the “
” expedition
899. This
nitial report included
34) described another
new
from the co
the Jo
-
ia canariensis
lass Sclerospongiae (
ni and
uiella auriculata) w
repo
Colin (1978) fr
onal obser ions while
ng in the oceanic island
from the Caribb
was
ced by Van Soe
1980).
ding
graphical and
th r
contributed by G
me), a tota
ies of sponges
pre
Virgin
t depths below 3
(Ta
In the study
oest (197
80) it was
f the insular
per waters g
ng
and muddy s
s.
re
s
sent the mo
t inve
te taxa in
f reef substrate co
at I
echeo, and play
ental
s
tive microhabitat fo
(Garc
l., this
The brown tube ong
s conifera) an
ore sponges ( plysina
the dominant sp
s in
of reef substrate
an
ca
vernos
d typi
row in
with scleracti
aricia spp.)
nge-coral bio
s t
tribute substanti
overa
erwater
nges are perha
he l
sessile-benthic in
te con
g
hic relief in deep
fs o
t Indies. T
re mo
lous (cave-dwe
) at
f less than 40
ut at de
of 70 m or
ay be found
exp
s, competin
-water
coral
53