Higginsia ciccaresei sp. nov. (Porifera: Demospongiae) from
a marine cave on the Apulian coast (Mediterranean Sea)
Pansini Maurizio1
J. Mar. Biol. Ass. U.K., 78: 1083-1091 (1998)
A new species of sponge: Higginsia ciccaresei sp. nov. (Demospongiae: Desmoxyidae) is described from a marine cave of the Ionian Apulian coast (Mediterranean sea). It lives in complete darkness, 250 m from the cave entrance, in a basin of anchialine waters of low salinity and relatively cool temperature.
The spicule formation process seems to be affected by some of the peculiar characteristics of the ambient water, resulting in spicules of unusual shape and irregular surface.
This is the second record of the genus Higginsia - which has a world-wide distribution - from the Mediterranean Sea.
The hypotehis that H. ciccaresei could be considered as tethyan relict which survived in the peculiar habitat of an anchialine cave is also suggested
1. Istituto di Zoologia, Università di Genova, Via Balbi 5 - 16126 Genova, Italy
2. Dipartimento di Scienze Ambientali, University of L'Aquila, Via Vetoio I-67100 L'Aquila, Italy
e-mail: zoologia@igecuniv.csita.unige.it
e-mail: pesce@aquila.infn.it
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