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Demosponge fauna of Ormonde and Gettysburg Seamounts (Gorringe Bank, north-east Atlantic): diversity and zoogeographical affinities

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  03 December 2007

Joana Xavier  and
Rob van Soest
Joana Xavier
Affiliation:
Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics (IBED) University of Amsterdam, Mauritskade 57, 1092 AD Amsterdam, The Netherlands Zoological Museum of Amsterdam (ZMA), University of Amsterdam, Mauritskade 57, 1092 AD Amsterdam, The Netherlands CIBIO—Pólo Açores, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, e Departamento de Biologia, Universidade dos Açores,, Portugal
Rob van Soest
Affiliation:
Zoological Museum of Amsterdam (ZMA), University of Amsterdam, Mauritskade 57, 1092 AD Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Abstract

Seamounts, although abundant features of the world's oceans, constitute one of the least studied marine ecosystems. In the present work we assessed the diversity and zoogeographical affinities of the demosponge assemblages of Gettysburg and Ormonde Seamounts (Gorringe Bank, north-east Atlantic). Twenty-three demosponge species were identified adding to the thirteen previously reported for Gorringe shallow-water. Gorringe's demosponge assemblage was found to be mainly composed of species with a wide Atlanto–Mediterranean distribution (61%) and a group of species (28%) that are endemic to this Bank or have a restricted geographical distribution. This high level of endemism suggests the Gorringe Bank as a hotspot for demosponge fauna in the north-east Atlantic. Gorringe demosponge fauna was found to present an overall moderate similarity to the Mediterranean, Iberian coasts and Macaronesian archipelagos. We compare our findings with patterns reported for fish and molluscan faunas for this Bank and discuss some evolutionary aspects on the role of these ecosystems for the north-east Atlantic marine biota.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom , Volume 87 , Issue 6 , December 2007 , pp. 1643 - 1653
Copyright
2007 Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom

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