First records of the freshwater sponges Corvoheteromeyenia heterosclera and (Porifera: Spongillidae) from Curacao with species descriptions and data from transplantation experiments

The freshwater sponges Corvoheteromeyenia heterosclera and Spongilla alba are documented for Curacao, being the first report of freshwater sponges from this semi-arid, southern Caribbean island. The sponges occur in relatively clear, sunlit, non-stagnant, water and are probably less common now because man-made freshwater localities from the colonial era are largely deserted and in poor repairs. Translation to suitable sites could enhance the conservation of these sponges