EUROPEAN CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE TAXONOMY OF SPONGES

Edited by W. Clifford Jones

Papers by: Jean Vacelet & Claude Donadey, Rob W. M. van Soest, Radovan Borojevic & Nicole Bourry-Esnault, Maurizio Pansini, Maria-Jesus Uriz, Walentina II. de Weerdt, W. Clifford Jones, Shirley M. Stone, Elspeth Boardley & Martin Gill

This book is an outcome of the "Sponge Workshop" held at Sherkin Island Marine Station from 10-17th September, 1983. The Workshop was organized by Miss Shirley M. Stone, Dr. Rob van Soest and Dr. Nicole Boury-Esnault, and was attended, in addition, by Miss Elspeth Broadley, Mrs. Patricia Fry, Mr. M. Gill, Dr. W. Clifford Jones, Dr. Ines Lombas, Dr. Maurizio Pansini, Mr. C. Spurrier, Dr. Ole Tendal, Dr. Maria J. Uriz, Dr. Jean Vacelet and Drs. Wallie de Weerdt. During the conference the Marine Station Director, Mr. Matt Murphy, offered to finance the publication of a book and the offer was gratefully accepted.

The aims of the Workshop were:

1. to collect local specimens of sponges, identify them and discuss their scientific names;

2. to discuss the systematics of sponges in order to reach a concensus of opinion on the North East Atlantic species; and

3. to establish contacts between sponge researchers from different European countries in order to facilitate the exchange of material and ideas, and to accelerate progress by greater collaborative effort. The Workshop was certainly successful in promoting progress in all three directions.

The papers included in this book may appear at first sight to comprise a heterogeneous collection, reflecting as they do the current diverse research interests of the authors, but they are all useful contributions to the systematics of sponges. New species are described, revised classifications are proposed, new facts concerning sponge structures are given, systematic keys are provided, and there is new information concerning geographical and depth distributions, habitat preferences and skeletal variation of sponges. Modern sponge taxonomy clearly utilizes information from a wide range of research, involving very different techniques, and the contributions included here will undoubtedly stimulate further research and lead towards an increased understanding of the ecology and evolution of the European sponges.

Papers:

"A new species of Halisarca (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the Carribean, with remarks on the cytology and affinities of the genus." - Jean Vacelet & Claude Donadey.

"Biogeographic and taxonomic notes on some Eastern Atlantic sponges." - Rob M.W. van Soest.

"Revision of the genus Leucilla Haeckel, 1872, with a re-description of the type species." - Leucilla amphora Haeckel, 1872 - Radovan borojevic & Nicole Boury-Esnault.

"Report on a collection of Demospongiae from soft bottoms of the Eastern Adriatic Sea." - Maurizio Pansini.

"Sponges from the South-West of Africa: description of species." - Maria-Jesus Uriz.

"The marine shallow-water Chalinidae (haplosclerida, Porifera) of the British Isles." - Walentina H. de Weerdt.

"Seasonal variations in the skeleton and spicule dimensions of Haliclona elegans (Bowerbank) sensu Topsent (1887) from two sites in North Wales." - W. Clifford Jones

"Field characteristics of some conspicuous sublittoral sponges from Roaringwater Bay, County Cork, Ireland." - Shirley M. Stone, Elspeth Boardley and Martin Gill.

ISBN 1 870492 05 6

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