Porifera collection of the Italian National Antarctic Museum (MNA), with an updated checklist from Terra Nova Bay (Ross Sea)

By

Ghiglione, Claudio
Alvaro, Maria Chiara
Cecchetto, Matteo
Canese, Simonpietro
Downey, Rachel
Guzzi, Alice
Mazzoli, Claudio
Piazza, Paola
Tore Rapp, Hans
Sarà, Antonio
Schiaparelli, Stefano

Type

Article

Date of Publication

2018

Original Publication

ZooKeys

Volume

758

Pages

137-156

Subjects

3D models , Antarctica , Italian National Antarctic Museum , Porifera , Ross Sea , Terra Nova Bay

Contributed by

Pensoft Publishers

Language

English

Published by

Sofia, Bulgaria Pensoft Publishers

Identifiers

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.758.23485

 

Abstract

This new dataset presents occurrence data for Porifera collected in the Ross Sea, mainly in the Terra Nova Bay area, and curated at the Italian National Antarctic Museum (MNA, section of Genoa). Specimens were collected in 331 different sampling stations at depths ranging from 17 to 1,100 meters in the framework of 17 different Italian Antarctic expeditions funded by the Italian National Antarctic Research Program (PNRA). A total of 807 specimens, belonging to 144 morphospecies (i.e., 95 taxa identified at species level and 49 classified at least at the genus level) is included in the dataset. Nearly half (45%) of the species reported here correspond to species already known for Terra Nova Bay. Out of the remaining 55% previously unknown records, under a third (~29%) were classified at the species level, while over a quarter (~26%) were ascribed to the genus level only and these would require further study. All vouchers are permanently curated at the MNA and are available for study to the scientific community. A 3D model of an uncommon species from the Ross Sea, i.e. Tethyopsisbrondstedi (Burton, 1929), is also presented and will be made available for outreach purposes.