Identification of sponges in tidal zone of Hormoz Island, Persian Gulf

Sponges are one of the most important benthic animal community in the Persian Gulf. This research was conducted in the area of inter-tidal of Hormuz Island during the spring and summer of 2015, and a total of 6 stations were considered for sampling. After sampling from surface, middle and deep sections of sponges and digesting organic material in the samples, spicules were studied. 6 species were identified in this study. The species which were identified in this study belong to the category of Demospongiae, orders of Haplosclerida, Chondrillida, Hadromerida, Halichondria and Astrophorida, families of Chalinidae, Chondrillidae, Hemiasterellidae, Ancorinidae, Niphatidae and Halichondrillidae. The identified species are as follows: Ecionemia solida, Hemiasterella bouilloni, Chondrilla australiensis, Haliclona sp., Halichondria sp. and Niphates sp. The species Haliclona sp., Chondrilla australiensis, Hemiasterella bouilloni and Niphates sp. have spicules with megasclere monaxon shape without microsclere spicules and Ecinemia solida has megasclere tylostyle spicules and star-shaped microsclere.