Composition and distribution of sponges (Porifera) in continental waters of western Siberia

The paper presents data on the composition and distribution of freshwater sponges in western Siberia. Recently, four species have been found in lakes and rivers, and one species has been recorded in a study of palynological and archaeological samples. Freshwater sponges live mainly in the small rivers and lakes of the forest-steppe and southern taiga zones. About a hundred taxa of aquatic invertebrates have been recorded together with the found sponges. The biomass of sponges among the zooperiphyton significantly decreases northwards.