A surprisingly high number of shallow water sponge species
(197) were recorded from extensive sampling of natural intertidal
and subtidal habitats in Singapore (Southeast Asia) from
May 2003 to June 2010. This is in spite of a highly modified
coastline that encompasses one of the world’s largest container
ports as well as extensive oil refining and bunkering industries.
A total of 99 intertidal species was recorded in this study. Of
these, 53 species were recorded exclusively from the intertidal
zone and only 45 species were found on both intertidal and
subtidal habitats, suggesting that tropical intertidal and subtidal
sponge assemblages are different and distinct. Furthermore,
only a third of the fouling species of sponges from a previous
study was recorded in this study, thus suggesting that sponge
assemblages from natural and fouling communities in the tropics
are different as well. A new species, Forcepia (Forcepia)
vansoesti is described from Singapore. Members of this genus
possess unique spicules shaped in the form of a pair of forceps.
The new species is distinguished from its congeners in having
the largest forceps (nearly 300 µm in length) so far recorded in
the Indo-Pacific.