Three new remarkable carnivorous sponges (Porifera, Cladorhizidae) from deep New Zealand and Australian (Macquarie Island) waters

Researchers have discovered three new species of carnivorous sponges (Cladorhizidae) in deep waters around New Zealand and Macquarie Island, each exhibiting remarkable deviations from known sponge morphology. Abyssocladia carcharias stands out with its pedunculate disc shape and unique multidentate isochelae, while Asbestopluma (Asbestopluma) anisoplacochela introduces a novel microsclere form, the anisoplacochelae, characterized by dissimilar plate-like central teeth. Asbestopluma (Asbestopluma) desmophora features densely packed desma megascleres at its base and exhibits dichotomous branching. These findings challenge existing phylogenetic understandings of Cladorhizidae and highlight the biodiversity of deep-sea environments in the region, including Macquarie Ridge.

KELLY, M., & VACELET, J. (2011). Three new remarkable carnivorous sponges (Porifera, Cladorhizidae) from deep New Zealand and Australian (Macquarie Island) waters. Zootaxa, 2976(1). https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.2976.1.4