Two new Hexactinellida species from the Clarion-Clipperton Zone (CCZ) in the East Pacific Ocean are described. They are the first described representatives of the genus Sympagella in this region. The new sponges were collected in 2013 during the ABYSSLINE Project´s first cruise, AB01, on board the RV Melville. The CCZ is known for its polymetallic nodules but megafaunal biodiversity is still poorly understood. Our findings suggest that the poriferan fauna of the eastern CCZ is both species rich and inadequately known, and that substantially more sampling and taxonomic studies of the CCZ sponge fauna are required to establish a megafaunal biogeography and evaluate potential extinction risks resulting from polymetallic-nodule mining.
Two new species of Sympagella (Porifera: Hexactinellida: Rossellidae) collected from the Clarion-Clipperton Zone, East Pacific