Description and ecology of a spongicolous lysianassoid amphipod (Crustacea) from Antarctica

Abstract

In the canals of three species of Antarctic Demospongiae, a new species of Lysianassoidea (Crustacea: Amphipoda) was found. The new species Pseudokoroga spongiophila is described, its ecology is briefly summarized. While the superfamily is represented in the Southern Ocean by 146 species, belonging to 54 genera, Pseudokoroga spongiophila n. sp. is one of the rare species symbiontically living in sponges. Up to 24 individuals were collected in 1000 cm³ of tissue of the host Demospongiae Jophon spatulatus (Kirkpatrick, 1907).

Keywords:

• Amphipoda
• Lysianassoidea
• Antarctic
• taxonomy
• symbiosis
• Demospongiae
• Pseudokoroga spongiophila n. sp.