Revision of the family Raspailiidae (Porifera : Demospongiae), with description of Australian species

Abstract

The marine sponge family Raspailiidae Hentschel is revised and referred to the order Poecilosclerida. Of 48 nominal genera, 17 (including one new genus and one new subgenus) are recognised here: Raspailia Nardo, (Hymeraphiopsis, subg. nov.), Ectyoplasia Topsent, Endectyon Topsent, Trikentrion Ehlers, Cyamon Gray, Aulospongus Norman, Raspaciona Topsent, Rhabdeurypon Topsent, Eurypon Gray, Plocamione Topsent, Amphinomia, gen. nov., Lithoplocamia Dendy, Hymeraphia Bowerbank, Ceratopsion Strand, Thrinacophora Ridley, Axechina Hentschel and Echinodictyum Ridley, and three genera are incertae sedis (Tethyspira Topsent, Sigmeurypon Topsent, Cantabrina Ferrer-Hernandez). Fifty-six species are described for the Australian fauna, of which 14 are new to science: Raspailia daminensis, R. desrnonyiformis, R. keriontria, R. melanorhops, R. phakellopsis, R. reticulata, R. wardi, R. wilkinsoni, Ectyoplasia vannus, Endectyon elyakovi, Ceratopsion montebelloensis, C. palmafa, Echinodictyum austrinus, spp. nov. and Amphinomia sulphurea, gen. nov., sp. nov. The phylogenetic relationships and biogeographical distribution of the family are discussed. Tropical north-westem Australian-southem Indonesia has the highest diversity of species in the Indo-west Pacific, and altogether the Australasian region has about 20% of the world's known raspailiid fauna.