NOTES ON IRCINIIDAE FROM KOREA

Abstract

Sponges of the order Dictyoceratida are poorly known in Korea. Twelve species of the family Irciniidae and two species of the family Spongiidae have been reported from many island and coastal areas of the East Sea, Yellow Sea and South Sea of Korea. Sponges belonging to the family Irciniidae are characterized by an anastomosing skeletal network of primary and secondary spongin fibres and fine filaments with terminal knobs. A new genus Bergquistia Sim and Lee, 2002, from Korea, is included into the family Irciniidae. The new genus is characterized by extremely simple fasciculated and uncored primary fibres. However, in the choanosomal region, primary fibres form a clearly detectable wider  web. Secondary fibres form a very thin regular uncored network. The sponge surface has thick and regular conules. The colour is beige throughout the sponge, and the texture is slightly hard but compressible. Thickness of filaments is variable. To date, within the genus Sarcotragus, only very fine filaments have been described.