title: Hexactinellida (Porifera) from the Drake Passage (Southern Ocean) with a description of three new species.
abstract: The Drake Passage has over 20 seamounts and ridges but it is notorious for large waves, fierce storms and strong currents that make benthic sampling difficult and therefore infrequent. Seamounts often have diverse sponge communities and may have high levels of endemism. Hexactinellida from Sars Seamount, an area in which the sponges had not previously been studied, and the Shackleton fracture zone were collected on a research cruise by the Nathaniel B Palmer in the Drake Passage, Southern Ocean. In total, from all cruise stations, 103 specimens of Hexactinellida were collected, however many appeared to be fragments of dead specimens and could not be identified due to missing microscleres. From Sars Seamount 127 sponge specimens were taken and from the Shackleton Fracture Zone 76 sponge specimens were taken; of these 36 and 16 respectively were Hexactinellida. From these two areas three new species of Hexactinellida are described: Doconesthes robinsoni sp. nov., Sympagella walleri sp. nov. and Caulophacus palmeri sp. nov and new records were made of Aulocalyx irregularis and Rossella antarctica.
authors.affiliation: National Museums Northern Ireland, 153 Bangor Road, Cultra, Holywood, Co. Down, BT18 0EU, UK Queen's University Marine Laboratory, 2-13 The Strand, Portaferry, BT22 1PF; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Claire E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Goodwin
authors.affiliation: Ulster Wildlife, 3 New Line, Crossgar, Co Down, Northern Ireland, BT30 9EP, UK; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Jade
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Berman
authors.affiliation: Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Dorte
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Janussen
authors.affiliation: Senckenberg Gesellschaft für Naturforschung, Senckenberganlage 25, 60325 Frankfurt; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Göcke
authors.affiliation: School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queen's Road, Bristol, BS8 1RJ, UK; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Katharine R
authors.initials: KR
authors.lastname: Hendry
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000825:Animal Structures / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development; D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size; D009792:Oceans and Seas; D009929:Organ Size; D011161:Porifera / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000145:classification* / Q000254:growth & development