With the completion of a single unified classification, the Systema Porifera (SP) and
subsequent development of an online species database, the World Porifera Database …

Sponges (phylum Porifera) are a diverse taxon of benthic aquatic animals of great
ecological, commercial, and biopharmaceutical importance. They are arguably the earliest …

The most diverse and species-rich class of the phylum Porifera is Demospongiae. In recent
years, the systematics of this clade, which contains more than 7000 species, has developed …

Abstract Background Glass sponges (Class Hexactinellida) are important components of
deep-sea ecosystems and are of interest from geological and materials science …

Understanding of evolution and systematics of Calcarea (Porifera) have not yet met a
corresponding increase in the knowledge of diversity and distribution of these sponges in …

Long overlooked, sponge grounds are now recognised as important habitats which support
high biodiversity. Some of these deep-sea sponge aggregations are formed by …

Hexactinellid sponges are important members of deep-sea benthic ecosystems because
they provide available hard substrate habitats for filter-feeding invertebrates. However …

Morphological delineation of sponge species is hindered by the narrow range of fixed
diagnostic characters and our limited knowledge of how much phenotypic plasticity the …

Understanding patterns of reproduction, dispersal and recruitment in deep‐sea communities
is increasingly important with the need to manage resource extraction and conserve species …

In this study, we present the demosponges sampled in the Antarctic Weddell Sea during the
ANT-XXIV/2 (SYSTCO I) expedition (28.11. 2007–04.02. 2008) by the RV Polarstern. This …