Twelve new species of two genera Smenospongia and Cacospongia (Demospongia: Dictyoceratida: Thorectidae) from Korea

Twelve new species of two genera Smenospongia and Cacospongia (Demospongia: Dictyoceratida: Thorectidae) are described from Gageodo Island and Ulleungdo Island, Korea. Of these, ten new species of the Smenospongia are distinguished from the other nine reported species of the genus by the skeletal structure and sponge colour. Primary fibres of the genus Smenospongia are mostly dense, dark colour, and invisible inside of fibres, but they are mostly cored detritus and echinated with spicules. Especially, the end of primary fibres at the surface shows densely cored with spicules. All these new species changed the colour. Two new species of the genus Cacospongia are compared with nine other reported species. In skeletal structure, primary fibres of the genus Cacospongia are light colour, visible inside and more heavily cored with spicules and sands. The skeleton of this genus has large meshes. The colour of the genus Cacospongia does not change.