Sponges of red sea origin on the mediterranean coast of israel

Four species of sponges of Red-Sea origin which have apparently immigrated into the eastern Mediterranean through the Suez Canal are described. One of these, Chrotella cavernosa (Lamk), which was collected from the floors of caverns and nips along the Israeli coast, has already been described by Burton (1936) from the fishery grounds near Alexandria. The other three species: Geodia micropunctata Row, Damiriana schmidti (Ridley) and Heteronema erecta Keller, are recorded for the first time from the Mediterranean.