Table 12. (c
USVI
Depth
Expedition/
ont.) Sponges reported from depths below 30 meters in Puerto Rico and the
Max.
SPECIES
Bottom Type
Reference
(fathoms)
Locality
Pachychalina mollis
42
St. Thomas, USVI
Coral
Fish Ha
Pachypellina podatypa
91
Mayaguez, PR
muddy, sand
Van Soest, 19
Petrosia weingergi
63
La Parguera, PR
Coral
Petrosia halichondrioides
42
St. Thomas, USVI
Coral
Pilochrota fibrosa
42
St. Thomas, USVI
Coral
Fish Hawk
Pilochrota variabilis
42
St. Thomas, USVI
Coral
Fish Ha
Polyfibrospongia echina
67
Cerro Gordo, PR
Hard bottom,
Coral
Carolin
Pseudoceratina crassa
83
St. Thomas
Coral
Armstrong et al
press
Ridleia dendiia
453
Mona Island, PR
Hard bottom,
Coral
Carolin
Roosa zyggompha
127
San Juan, PR
Hard bottom
Caroline, 1933
Siphonochalina
procumbens
42
St. Thomas, USVI
Coral
Fish Hawk
Siphonochalina spiculosa
42
St. Thomas, USVI
Coral
Fish Hawk, 18
Spinosella sororia
138
Mayaguez, PR
Rocky, Coral
Fish Hawk, 1899
Strongylacidon sp.
83
St. Thomas
Coral
Armstro
press
Strongylophora rampa
181
San Juan, PR
Hard bottom
Ca
Stylospira mona
453
Mona Island, PR
Hard bottom,
Coral
Caroline, 1933
Tethycordyla thyris
344
Jost Van Dyke, USVI
Hard bottom
Caroline, 1
Tribrachium schmidtii
217
Mayaguez, PR
Coral
Fish Hawk
Verongula gigantea
94
Desecheo Is., PR
Coral
This study
Viles ophiraphidites
54
Desecheo Is., PR
Hard bottom,
Coral
Caroline, 193
Xestospongia portorricensis
91
Mayaguez, PR
muddy, sand
Van Soest, 1
Xestospongia muta
91
Rincon
muddy, sand
Van Soest, 19
wk, 1899
80
Van Soest, 1980
Fish Hawk, 1899
, 1899
wk, 1899
e, 1933
., in
e, 1933
, 1899
99
ng et al., in
roline, 1933
933
, 1899
3
980
80
space (Colin, 1978). Ceratoporella nicholsoni is the largest and most abundant of the
western Atlantic sclerosponges. The species is known to occur as deep as 200 m and
capable of constructing reef frameworks in Jamaica (Hartman and Goreau, 1972; Lang
et al., 1975). The ecological role or relevance of these sponges in the deep reef
systems of Puerto Rico and the USVI is presently unknown.
56