Sponges from the Middle Triassic reef limestone of the Aggtelek Karst (NE Hungary)

The hypercalcified sponge fauna of the Middle Triassic (Anisian-Ladinian) reef limestone exposed between Aggtelek-Jósvaf -égersz g (northern Hungary) is described. Almost all the identified species are chambered sponges ("sphinctozoa"). Only two fragments of a not determinable species of non-chambered species ("inozoa") were identified. Hexactinellid sponges are not found. The majority of the Middle Anisian "sphinctozoans" are absolutely different genera, not known from the Permian reefs. The sponge fauna of the Triassic pioneer reefs in the Aggtelek Karst are distinctly small-scaled occurring in "Tubiphytes"-dominated carbonates. The following taxa are described: Amblysiphonella sp., Celyphia zoldana Ott, Pisa & Farabegoli, Colospongia catenulata catenulata Ott, C. catenulata macrocatenulata Scholz, Follicatena cautica Ott, Kovacsia baloghi (Kovács), Solenolmia manon manon (Münster), S. radiata Senowbari-Daryan & Riedel, Olangocoelia otti Bechst dt & Brandner, Thaumastocoelia dolomitica Senowbari-Daryan, Zühlke, Bechst dt & Flügel, Thaumastocoelia cf., Th. cassiana Steinmann.