3 DEEP-WATER SPONGES FROM THE EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN AND THEIR ASSOCIATED FAUNA

Three species of sponges were collected off the Israeli Mediterranean coast from a depth of 830 m: Bubaris sarayi sp. nov., described here, Sarcotragus cf. muscarum, and Ircinia cf. retidermata. The sponge cavi ties contained the polychaetes Harmothoe spinifera, Ceratonereis costa e, Leonnates jousseaumei, and the snapping shrimp Synalpheus gambarell oides. The sponge surface was encrusted with the serpulid tubeworm Hyd roides heteroceros. Leonnates jousseaumei and H. heteroceros are Lesse psian migrants, and L. jousseaumei is recorded from the Mediterranean for the first time. For all the species, the present finding constitut es a great extension of their known depth range; this is also the firs t record of Lessepsian migrants from great depths. It is suggested tha t in the deep water soft-bottom environment, sponges are porous hard-s ubstrate microhabitat islands, providing associated fauna with shelter , and possibly also a continuous flow of water with suspended matter.