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Issue: Vol. 5874 No. 4: 28 Aug. 2026
Type: Article
Published: 2026-08-28
DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5874.4.1
Page range: 301-325
Abstract views: 962
PDF downloaded: 27

Five new species of demosponges (Porifera) from the Aleutian Islands and the Gulf of Alaska

Eichenstr. 14; 86507 Oberottmarshausen; Germany; GeoBio–Center LMU München; Richard-Wagner-Str. 10; 80333 München; Germany
NOAA–Alaska Fisheries Science Center; 301 Research Court; Kodiak; AK 99615; United States
NOAA–Northwest Fisheries Science Center; 2725 Montlake Blvd E.; Seattle; WA 98112; United States
Porifera alaska demospongiae Suberitida Poecilosclerida Aaptos Homaxinella Megaciella Forcepia Desmacella new species 28S

Abstract

Sponges comprise an important part of the Alaskan benthic fauna and marine ecosystems. Despite their ecological importance, the region’s sponge fauna remains understudied. Five new species of demosponges were identified and described from specimens collected from bottom trawls taken during stock assessment surveys in the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands in 1997, 2021, and 2022. Four of the newly identified species were collected from the Aleutian Islands. Two of these species were assigned to the order Suberitida: Aaptos mucronatus sp. nov. and Homaxinella fruticosa sp. nov. Another two species belong to the diverse order Poecilosclerida: Megaciella aurantia sp. nov. and Forcepia atka sp. nov. Desmacella alaskensis sp. nov., belonging to the order Desmacellida, was collected in the Gulf of Alaska. These additions bring the number of known sponges from Alaska to 232 species.

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How to Cite

Lehnert, H., Rooney, S. & Everett, M. (2026) Five new species of demosponges (Porifera) from the Aleutian Islands and the Gulf of Alaska. Zootaxa, 5874 (4), 301–325. https://doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.5874.4.1