M. PANSINI

This study deals with the sponge fauna of Porto Tricase, Strait of Otranto, Ionian Sea. The present sponge fauna was compared with that described by Pulitzer-Finali more than 40 years ago. The main results are three new findings for the Ionian Sea, a second record for the Mediterranean Sea and a likely new sponge species.

The three-dimensional coral scaffolds formed by the skeletons of the cold-water corals Madrepora oculata and Lophelia pertusa represent an important deep-sea hard substratum and create an optimal shelter for a rich associated fauna in which the contribution of Porifera has still not been fully considered. The taxonomic analysis of sponges...