Esponjas (Porifera: Demospongiae) de raíces sumergidas de Rhizophora mangle en la bahía de Cispatá, Córdoba, Caribe colombiano

Cispatá Bay is located at the south-western side of the Gulf of Morrosquillo, in the department of Córdoba, covering one of mangrove forests of better development for the Caribbean region of Colombia. Composition and spatial distribution of the sponges attached to the submerged roots of Rhizophora mangle was studied. In total, 14 demosponge species were encountered along belt transects (10 m2) on 12 stations at Cispatá Bay. Amphimedon viridis was the species that presented the larger spatial distribution in the study area while species such as Mycale microsigmatosa, Cinachyrella apion, Scopalina ruetzleri, Iotrochota birotulata and Placospongia intermedia were only recorded in one sampling station. The absence of many species of sponges in the swamps of Navío and Ostional may be due to great fluctuations in surface salinity due to discharges of the Sinú River and other local tributaries as Sicará and Salado Streams.