New carnivorous sponges (Cladorhizidae: Poecilosclerida: Demospongiae) from off Diego Ramirez Archipelago (south Chile), with comments on taxonomy and biogeography of the family

Eight new species of carnivorous sponges are described from southern South America, off Diego Ramirez Archipelago (south Chile): Abyssocladia diegoramirezensis, sp. nov., A. umbellata, sp. nov., Asbestopluma (Asbestopluma) bitrichela, sp. nov., A. (A.) magnifica, sp. nov., A. (A.) microstrongyla, sp. nov., A. (Helophloeina) delicata, sp. nov., Chondrocladia (Chondrocladia) schlatteri, sp. nov. and C. (Meliiderma) latrunculioides, sp. nov. Most of these sponges were sampled from an antipatharian coral collected accidentaly by demersal fisheries, which indicates an unexpected high diversity and abundance of carnivorous sponges in this area. The taxonomy and biogeography of the family Cladorhizidae is discussed, with an emphasis on cladorhizid versus phellodermid affinities of Abyssocladia, and on the possibility that species bearing either cleistochelae or arcuate chelae as the sole chelae morphotype may belong in this genus. A synthesis of the geographic as well as bathymetric distribution of cladorhizids is presented.