Abstract
This research presents 17 new species of carnivorous sponges from the family Cladorhizidae sampled at bathyal and abyssal depths off the east coast of Australia during the RVInvestigator2017 Abyss Expedition. The species are comprised of six genera:Abyssocladia escherisp. nov.,A.annaesp. nov.,A. gliscofilasp. nov.,Asbestopluma (Asbestopluma) maxisigmasp. nov.,Cladorhiza australisnov. sp.,C. poriteasp. nov.,C. investigatorsp. nov.,C. moniqueaesp. nov.,C. pentaeirossp. nov., Chondrocladia (Chondrocladia) freycinetensissp. nov.,Ch. (Ch.) callistemonexsp. nov.,Ch. (Ch.) zygainadentonissp. nov.,Lycopodina nikitawimandisp. nov.,L. heliossp. nov.,L. cassidasp. nov.,L. brochidodromasp. nov. andEuchelipluma claudochelasp. nov. Only three carnivorous species,A. desmophora,As. (As.) desmophoraandC.(Meliiderma)tasmaniensis,have been recorded from Australia previously.This expedition also recovered two described species commonly recorded from the Southern HemisphereCh. (Ch.) clavataandL. calyx.This paper also redescribes two species from the South Pacific i.e.C. mirabilisandC. similis.
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