SHALLOW WATERS DEMOSPONGES OF THE GALAPAGOS-ISLANDS

Descriptions and illustrations are presented for 45 sponge species fro m shallow waters of the Galapagos Islands, obtained from collections m ade by the South East Pacific Biological Oceanographic Programme (SEPB OP) 1966 and W.D. Hope in 1978 deposited in the National Museum of Nat ural History, Washington. Twenty two previously known species are desc ribed, most new record for this area, one a new combination: Higginsia papillosa Thiele, transfered to Halicnemia. Twenty three species of t he genera Plakina, Plakortis, Penares, Stelletta, Dercitus, Coralliste s, Cinachyrella, Chondrilla, Sigmosceptrella, Polymastia, Quasillina, Tethya, Phakellia, Halicnemia, Spongosorites, Aulospongus, Lissodendor yx, Oceanapia, and Cacospongia, are new to science. Definitions of gen era and families are briefly discussed. Comparisons made with many typ e specimens of species from the NE, Central and SE Pacific areas.