Annotated checklist of sponges (Porifera) of the South China Sea region

Many important scientific collections of Porifera have been made within the South China Sea region, commencing in the late 1700s during the era of the 'spice trade', but no synthesis or inventory of this fauna had so far been attempted. This annotated systematic checklist of marine sponges contains over 1500 species recorded in the scientific literature (including marine n atural products records), or so far unpublished collections known to exist in museums. As for many other marine invertebrate phyla the South China Sea region contains an exceptionally high diversity of sponges, with an expect ation that many more species await discovery and description. This checklis t indicates that about 5% of the fauna is widely distributed in the Indo-we st Pacific, mainly associated with the coral reef fauna, some wide Indo-Pac ific species, a few known to be introduced through human activities, wherea s most appear to be 'endemic' to this region. This latter group is relative ly more specialised in its ecological requirements than widespread coral re ef species, living on non-emergent deeper reefs, soft bottoms, trawl ground s and other habitats which are rarely considered in conservation strategies . These strategies are discussed as they relate to particular characteristi cs of the sponge fauna.