Etude de la diversité des éponges (Porifera: Demospongiae) de la cote Tunisienne

Abstract

In the present study we aimed to describe and inventory the sponges (Demospongiae, Porifera) sampled from several coastal zones in Tunisia: Salammbô, Korbous, Kelibia, Kerkennah Islands and El Bibane lake. Thus, we classify and identify sixty six different sponge samples in to sixteen sponge species belonging to six different orders, not equitably distributed along the coastal regions, with dominance of Dictyoceratida order. The species Hymeniacidon perlevis was the sponge specie common to all the sampling sites. Biodiversity of the sponge species seems to be higher in the southern region (15 species) than in the northern zones (6 species specified only).