New data on glass sponges (Porifera, Hexactinellida) of the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Part 1. Farreidae

Abstract

Four specimens of Farrea herdendorfi Duplessis & Reiswig, 2004 are described from the depth 2428–2630 m in the Charlie-Gibbs Fracture Zone area, northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Specimens were collected on cruises of the RRS James Cook (in 2007 and 2010) as part of the ECOMAR project. The species was originally reported from off South Carolina (USA), and subsequently from Campos Basin (SE Brazil). New specimens slightly deviate from specimens in the type series, apparently owing to complete lack of onychohexasters, which are considered here to be of minor importance.

Keywords:

• Porifera
• taxonomy
• Hexasterophora
• distribution
• deep sea
• Atlantic Ocean

Published in collaboration with the University of Bergen and the Institute of Marine Research, Norway, and the Marine Biological Laboratory, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Published in collaboration with the University of Bergen and the Institute of Marine Research, Norway, and the Marine Biological Laboratory, University of Copenhagen, Denmark

Acknowledgements

We thank Amanda Garcez da Veiga for SEM work at the Center for Scanning Electron Microscopy of Museu Nacional/UFRJ. Dr Eduardo Hajdu (Museu Nacional/UFRJ) is also thanked for critical reading of the manuscript. Thanks to CNPq (Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico) and CENPES–PETROBRAS for grants and (or) fellowships. DAL Desenvolvimento da Taxonomia de Esponjas Marinhas (Porifera) do Brasil is also acknowledged (PETROBRAS – Agência Nacional do Petróleo SAP 4600177470), coordinated by Dr Guilherme Muricy for financial support during her visit to the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology (Moscow, Russia). We are grateful to Dr Les Watling for information on the Corner Rise Seamount Group expedition. Special thanks to Professor Imants G. Priede for advice and correction of the style of English. We thank the UK NERC-funded ECOMAR consortium (NE/C512961/1) for access to RRS James Cook samples from the MAR. Also we are grateful for financial support from the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs granted to the Institute of Marine Research, Norway, and the MAR-ECO project.

Notes

Published in collaboration with the University of Bergen and the Institute of Marine Research, Norway, and the Marine Biological Laboratory, University of Copenhagen, Denmark