Abyssocladia silazi sp. nov. (Demospongiae: Poecilosclerida: Cladorhizidae) is described from deep-sea imagery collected during NOAA expedition EX-17-08 in the NW Pacific Ocean at 3,692 m depth. The species was identified through the ABYSS (Automated Biodiversity Yield from Subsea Surveys) data pipeline, which cross-referenced 173 expert-identified observation records from the NOAA Deep-Sea Coral and Sponge National Database against the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS). A. silazi sp. nov. is distinguished from all known congeners by its stalked body form with a spherical capitulum bearing long, radially arranged spicule filaments, giving a characteristic dandelion-like appearance. The description is based on an iconotype (NOAA image 942553) in accordance with ICZN Declaration 45. This package includes the full taxonomic manuscript and the iconotype image.
Silaz McCormick (2026) studied this question.