Sponge fauna associated with a Mediterranean deep-sea coral bank

Thirty species of sponges (29 Demospongiae, 1 Hexactinellida) have been recorded in association with a white coral bank situated off Cape S. Maria di Leuca (southern Italy) at depths ranging from 430 to 1160 metres. Notwithstanding the occurrence of clearly eurybathic species, two depth-dependent sponge groups can be identified along the bathymetric gradient. Two species, Geodia nodastrella and Plocamiopsis signata , are reported for the first...