Lovcenipora iranica nov. sp., an unusually large chaetetid sponge from the Upper Triassic (Howz-e Khan member, Nayband Formation) of northeast Iran

Sponges are the most important reef builders in the bio-constructions imbedded within the Norian-Rhaetian Nayband Formation at various localities exposed in central Iran. Besides sphinctozoans and inozoans, hypercalcified sponges, i. e. chaetetids and spongiomorphids, are relatively abundant in some biohermal and biostromal reef structures. In these reefs, chaetetids are usually small (<10 cm). However, an unusually large species was found in the reefs near the village Hassan-Abad in the Ferdows area, northeast Iran. This species is described as Lovcenipora iranica nov. sp. Associated organisms are usually fragments of small-sized dendroid spongiomorphids.Schwämme sind die wichtigsten Riffbildner in den Biokonstruktionen, die verschiedentlich in die Nayband Formation im Zentraliran eingebettet sind. Neben Sphinctozoen und Inozoen sind in einigen biohermen und biostromen Riffstrukturen hyperkalzifizierte Schwämme (Chaetetiden und Spongiomorphiden) relativ häufig. Die Chaetitiden dieser Riffe sind üblicherweise klein (