This work deals with haplosclerid sponges off the coast of Maranhão State, northeastern coast of Brazilian shelf (southwestern Atlantic). A new species is described, Haliclona (Halichoclona) lernerae. Four species are recorded for the first time for the Brazilian coast: Amphimedon caribica (Pulitzer-Finali, 1986); Niphates lutea Lehnert & Van Soest, 1999; Neopetrosia subtriangularis (Duchassaing, 1850) and Petrosia (Petrosia) weinbergi Van Soest, 1980. Three species were recollected from the southwestern Atlantic and have their geographic distribution extended on the Brazilian coast: Callyspongia (Cladochalina) vaginalis (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864), Oceanapia bartschi (De Laubenfels, 1934) and Xestospongia muta (Schmidt, 1870). Two species were collected for the first time from the Maranhão State Coast: Niphates erecta Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 and Neopetrosia proxima (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864). A taxonomic study of those samples is given, including description, illustrations and geographic distribution.

The aim of this work is to redescribe 11 species of sponges collected through the Brazilian Antarctic Program (PROANTAR), at the South Shetland Islands and vicinity. New information is provided on the Antarctic sponge fauna, in regard to species richness and the geographical and bathymetric distributions of identified species. The following species were identified and are here illustrated and fully described: Cinachyra antarctica (Carter, 1872), Cinachyra barbata Sollas, 1886, Craniella leptoderma (Sollas, 1886), Tethyopsis longispinum (Lendenfeld, 1907), Polymastia invaginata Kirkpatrick, 1907, Homaxinella balfourensis (Ridley & Dendy, 1886), Suberites montiniger Carter, 1880, Halichondria (Eumastia) attenuata (Topsent, 1915), Haliclona (Soestella) chilensis (Thiele, 1905), Hemigellius bidens (Topsent, 1901) and Calyx arcuarius (Topsent, 1913). Two new records are given for the Antarctic continent: Halichondria (Eumastia) attenuata (Topsent, 1915) and Haliclona (Soestella) chilensis (Thiele, 1905). Tethyopsis longispinum (Lendenfeld, 1907), Suberites montiniger Carter, 1880 and Hemigellius bidens (Topsent, 1901) represent the first records for this sector of the continent. Bathymetric data are extended for T. longispinum and H. attenuata.

ABSTRACT. Spongia (Heterofibria) catarinensis sp. nov. (Porifera, Spongiidae) at the coastline of Santa Catarina, Brazil. A new species, Spongia (Heterofibria) catarinensis, is described from Ilha das Aranhas (27º29'077''S, 48º21'380''W), State of Santa Catarina, Brazil. It differs from the other southwestern Atlantic species of this genus by external morphology and architecture. The new species is characterized for presenting massive form, incrusting with lobate projections; primary fibres measuring 60-100 μm; secondary fibres 11,5-69 μm; pseudotertiary fibres 2,3-23 μm and distance between primary fibres 391-920 μm; distance between secondary/pseudotertiary fibres 92-575 μm; secondary/pseudotertiary fibres constituting polygonal meshes 30-700 μm diameter. This species belongs to subgenus Heterofibria Cook & Bergquist, 2001 for displaying a clear dichotomy of its fibres.

As amostras foram coletadas com draga retangular ao largo da costa (04º13'00" -02º34'02" N, 47º54'05" -50º50'07" W), pela Comissão Pesca Norte I, em 1968, através da Diretoria de Hidrografia e Navegação da Marinha do Brasil com o N./Oc. " Almirante Saldanha" em profundidades que variaram de 56 a 95 m. Oito espécies são aqui registradas, entre as quais Niphates alba Van Soest, 1980, Placospongia melobesioides Gray, 1867 e Terpios belindae Rützler & Smith, 1993 são identificadas pela primeira vez para a costa brasileira. As demais espécies, Aplysina fulva (Pallas, 1766), Ircinia strobilina (Lamarck, 1816), Niphates erecta (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864), Neopetrosia proxima (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) e Plakinastrella onkodes Uliczka, 1929 são conhecidas pela primeira vez para a área estudada. Todas as espécies identificadas são também registradas para o Caribe. Os espécimes encontram-se depositados na Coleção de Porifera do Museu de Ciências Naturais, Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil.

A new Brazilian species of Timea is described from 01 51 00 S-43 48 00 W (35.5 m depth). Timea bioxyasterina sp. nov. is set apart from other tropical Western Atlantic species by the possession of tylasters and two categories of oxyasters.

In the present study 16 species are registered for the South Shetland Islands and vicinity: Acanthorhabdus fragilis Burton, 1929, Iophon unicornis Topsent, 1907, Clathria (Axosuberites) flabellata (Topsent, 1916), Clathria (Axosuberites) nidificata (Kirkpatrick, 1907), Kirkpatrickia variolosa (Kirkpatrick, 1907), Myxodoryx hanitschi (Kirkpatrick, 1907), Iotroata somovi (Koltun, 1964), Tedania (Tedaniopsis) charcoti (Topsent, 1907), Tedania (Tedaniopsis) vanhoffeni (Hentschel, 1914), Tedania (Tedaniopsis) oxeata (Topsent, 1916), Isodictya kerguelenensis (Ridley & Dendy, 1886), Isodictya lankesteri (Kirkpatrick, 1907), Isodictya toxophila Burton, 1932, Isodictya bentarti Ríos, Cristobo & Urgorri, 2004, Latrunculia (Latrunculia) brevis Ridley & Dendy, 1886 and Latrunculia (Latrunculia) biformis (Kirkpatrick, 1908). Amongst the identified species, five are new occurrences for the studied region, three have their bathymetric limit extended and the others are confirmed for the studied area.

Sponges (Demospongiae, Halichondrida) from Maranhão coast, Brazil. Three species of Halichondrida, Dragmacidon reticulatus (Ridley & Dendy, 1886) (Axinellidae), Myrmekioderma rea (Laubenfels, 1934) (Desmoxyidae) and Topsentia ophiraphidites (Laubenfels, 1934) (Halichondriidae), collected from 30 to 184 m depths, were recorded for the first time from State of Maranhão, north-northeast coast of Brazilian shelf.

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