Upper Devonian sponges from the Holy Cross Mountains, central Poland

The rich fauna of Late Devonian (Late Frasnian) siliceous sponges from the Holy Cross Mountains, Poland is composed of 15 species and 11 genera. Both astylospongid demosponges (lithistids) and hexactinosan hexactinellids are present. The following new genera and/or species are proposed: D. regulara Rigby and Pisera sp. nov., Jazwicella media Rigby and Pisera gen. et sp. no v., Astyloscyphia irregularia Rigby and Pisera gen. et sp. nov., A. turbina ta Rigby and Pisera gen. et sp. nov., Astylotuba modica Rigby and Pisera ge n. et sp. nov., Paleoregulara cupula Rigby and Pisera gen. et sp. nov., Pal eoramospongia bifurcata Rigby and Pisera gen. et sp. nov., Cordiospongia co nica Rigby and Pisera gen. et sp. nov., Paleocraticularia elongata Rigby an d Pisera gen. et sp. nov., P. gigantia Rigby and Pisera gen. et sp. nov., P olonospongia devonica Rigby and Pisera gen. et sp. nov., P. fistulata Rigby and Pisera gen. et sp, nov., Urnospongia modica Rigby and Pisera gen. et s p. nov., and Conicospongia annulata Rigby and Pisera gen. et sp. nov. The i nvestigated fauna contains the youngest astylospongiids known and the oldes t well-preserved, and most diversified Palaeozoic hexactinosans. The sponge fauna constituted a significant element of a brachiopod-coral-sponge assem blage that inhabited a deep slope of the local Dyminy Reef structure, durin g its final phase of growth, in a clearly hemipelagic setting. This fauna i s limited to the intrashelf depression within an incipiently drowned carbon ate platform.