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Sutcliffe, P.R.; Hooper, J.N.A.; Pitcher, C.R. 2010. The most common sponges on the Great Barrer Reef seabed, Australia, include species new to science (Phylum Porifera). Zootaxa 2616: 1-30.
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We describe two new species amongst the most common sponges living on the seabed (inter-reef) of the Great Barrier Reef (GBR) collected during a multi-agency survey (GBR Seabed Biodiversity Project 2003–2006) of the shelf benthic biota using a trawl and dredge at 1254 sites. More than 1,200 sponge morphospecies (operational taxonomic units or OTUs) were recognised, many of which are potentially new species. This paper describes five of the most common sponges, two of which are new to science, Dercitus xanthus sp. nov. and Paracornulum fistulosum sp. nov. Taxonomic revisions of the three other most common species (Coscinoderma nardorus (Lendenfeld, 1886), Spheciospongia vagabunda (Ridley, 1884) and Xenospongia patelliformis Gray, 1858), reveal new characters not previously recorded. Extensive distribution maps are provided for these species within the GBR Marine Park. Analysis of the physical data associated with the biota revealed these species had strong preference for sand and carbonate sediments. As colonisers of the soft seabed these most prevalent species provide important habitat stabilisation, enabling succession communities to more readily establish on the seabed. This wide-scale study along the length and breadth of the GBR provides a concise and encompassing view of the distribution and diversity of the seabed benthos, and has significant implications for the conservation and management of the GBR World Heritage Area.
Australia
Systematics, Taxonomy
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2013-01-12 18:30:12Z
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Coscinoderma nardorus (Lendenfeld, 1886) (new combination reference)
Dercitus xanthus Sutcliffe, Hooper & Pitcher, 2010 accepted as Theonella xantha (Sutcliffe, Hooper & Pitcher, 2010) (original description)
Paracornulum fistulosum Sutcliffe, Hooper & Pitcher, 2010 (original description)
Spheciospongia vagabunda (Ridley, 1884) (additional source)
Spheciospongia vagabunda var. trincomaliensis (Ridley, 1884) accepted as Spheciospongia vagabunda (Ridley, 1884) (source of synonymy)
Spirastrella vagabunda var. fungoides Dendy, 1905 accepted as Spheciospongia vagabunda (Ridley, 1884) (source of synonymy)
Spirastrella vagabunda var. gallensis Dendy, 1905 accepted as Spheciospongia vagabunda (Ridley, 1884) (source of synonymy)
Spirastrella vagabunda var. trincomaliensis Ridley, 1884 accepted as Spheciospongia vagabunda (Ridley, 1884) (source of synonymy)
Spirastrella vagabunda var. tubulodigitata Dendy, 1905 accepted as Spheciospongia vagabunda (Ridley, 1884) (source of synonymy)
Xenospongia patelliformis Gray, 1858 (additional source)
Dercitus xanthus Sutcliffe, Hooper & Pitcher, 2010 accepted as Theonella xantha (Sutcliffe, Hooper & Pitcher, 2010) (original description)
Paracornulum fistulosum Sutcliffe, Hooper & Pitcher, 2010 (original description)
Spheciospongia vagabunda (Ridley, 1884) (additional source)
Spheciospongia vagabunda var. trincomaliensis (Ridley, 1884) accepted as Spheciospongia vagabunda (Ridley, 1884) (source of synonymy)
Spirastrella vagabunda var. fungoides Dendy, 1905 accepted as Spheciospongia vagabunda (Ridley, 1884) (source of synonymy)
Spirastrella vagabunda var. gallensis Dendy, 1905 accepted as Spheciospongia vagabunda (Ridley, 1884) (source of synonymy)
Spirastrella vagabunda var. trincomaliensis Ridley, 1884 accepted as Spheciospongia vagabunda (Ridley, 1884) (source of synonymy)
Spirastrella vagabunda var. tubulodigitata Dendy, 1905 accepted as Spheciospongia vagabunda (Ridley, 1884) (source of synonymy)
Xenospongia patelliformis Gray, 1858 (additional source)
Australian Exclusive Economic Zone for Dercitus xanthus Sutcliffe, Hooper & Pitcher, 2010
Australian Exclusive Economic Zone for Paracornulum fistulosum Sutcliffe, Hooper & Pitcher, 2010
Central and Southern Great Barrier Reef for Coscinoderma nardorus (Lendenfeld, 1886)
Central and Southern Great Barrier Reef for Coscinoderma nardorus (Lendenfeld, 1886)
Central and Southern Great Barrier Reef for Dercitus xanthus Sutcliffe, Hooper & Pitcher, 2010
Central and Southern Great Barrier Reef for Paracornulum fistulosum Sutcliffe, Hooper & Pitcher, 2010
Central and Southern Great Barrier Reef for Spheciospongia vagabunda (Ridley, 1884)
Central and Southern Great Barrier Reef for Xenospongia patelliformis Gray, 1858
Central and Southern Great Barrier Reef for Xenospongia patelliformis Gray, 1858
Torres Strait Northern Great Barrier Reef for Coscinoderma nardorus (Lendenfeld, 1886)
Australian Exclusive Economic Zone for Paracornulum fistulosum Sutcliffe, Hooper & Pitcher, 2010
Central and Southern Great Barrier Reef for Coscinoderma nardorus (Lendenfeld, 1886)
Central and Southern Great Barrier Reef for Coscinoderma nardorus (Lendenfeld, 1886)
Central and Southern Great Barrier Reef for Dercitus xanthus Sutcliffe, Hooper & Pitcher, 2010
Central and Southern Great Barrier Reef for Paracornulum fistulosum Sutcliffe, Hooper & Pitcher, 2010
Central and Southern Great Barrier Reef for Spheciospongia vagabunda (Ridley, 1884)
Central and Southern Great Barrier Reef for Xenospongia patelliformis Gray, 1858
Central and Southern Great Barrier Reef for Xenospongia patelliformis Gray, 1858
Torres Strait Northern Great Barrier Reef for Coscinoderma nardorus (Lendenfeld, 1886)
Holotype QM G329109, geounit Central and Southern Great Barrier Reef, identified as Paracornulum fistulosum Sutcliffe, Hooper & Pitcher, 2010
Holotype QM G329976, geounit Central and Southern Great Barrier Reef, identified as Dercitus xanthus Sutcliffe, Hooper & Pitcher, 2010
Holotype QM G329976, geounit Central and Southern Great Barrier Reef, identified as Dercitus xanthus Sutcliffe, Hooper & Pitcher, 2010
