January 8, 2015 — Sympagella delauzei is the name that has been given to this new species of glass sponge (Hexactinellid), which measures between 8 and 14 centimetres including the stalk, and which is found at depths of between 350 and 500 metres.
A new species of sponge has been discovered in the Mediterranean by an international group of scientists which included members of Oceana.
The discovery has taken place in the canyons of Corsica and in various seamounts in the Alboran Sea.
Sympagella delauzei is the name that has been given to this new species of glass sponge (Hexactinellid), which measures between 8 and 14 centimetres including the stalk, and which is found at depths of between 350 and 500 metres.
The study, published in the Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, also details the recent discovery of some specimens of this new species in nearby Atlantic areas, such as the Gorringe seamount in Portugal, although it is possible that its distribution includes other areas, such as North Africa and Macaronesia.
“These findings, along with the review of the species of glass sponge in the Mediterranean, show us what must be taken into account when it comes to protecting the sponge aggregations,” said Ricardo Aguilar, Director of Research at Oceana and co-author of the study.
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