Boring sponges (Porifera, Demospongiae) from the Indian Ocean

A collection of boring sponges from the Maldives and Seychelles coral reefs was studied. From the etched organogenous material, IG boring sponge speci es (belonging to seven genera and five families), were identified; three of these species are new and two are reported for the Indian Ocean for the fi rst time. A list of the boring species hitherto recorded from the area is g iven. The boring sponge faunas from the Maldives and Seychelles show certai n affinities among them and also with that of the entire Indo-Pacific regio n.