New species of excavating sponges (Porifera: Demospongiae) on coral reefs from the Mexican Pacific Ocean

Four new species of coral reef boring sponges, Cliona medinae, Cliona tropicalis, Thoosa purpurea, and Cliothosa tylostrongylata, were discovered in the remote coral reefs of the Revillagigedo Archipelago, off Mexico's Pacific coast. These species are distinguished by unique morphological and spicular traits, including orange-yellow papillae, purple coloration, and distinct spicule complements. Notably, all four species exclusively excavate skeletons of live or dead corals from the genus Pocillopora. This discovery expands the known diversity of boring sponges in the Mexican Pacific Ocean to 22 species and marks the first documentation of marine sponge fauna in this UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Cruz-Barraza, J. A., Carballo, J. L., Bautista-Guerrero, E., & Nava, H. (2011). New species of excavating sponges (Porifera: Demospongiae) on coral reefs from the Mexican Pacific Ocean. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 91(5), 999–1013. https://doi.org/10.1017/s0025315410002079