<p><strong>Two new species of Halichondrida (Demospongiae) and the first record of <em>Phycopsis</em> and <em>Ciocalapata</em> for Brazil</strong></p>

Abstract

Two new species of the genera Phycopsis and Ciocalapata are described from the shallow waters off the Brazilian coast. This is the first record of Phycopsis in South Atlantic, with Phycopsis styloxeata sp. nov. being the only species of the genus that presents three categories of spicules: two of styles and one of oxeas. Ciocalapata, here represented by Ciocalapata minuspiculifera sp. nov., displays smaller oxeas and styles when compared to its congeneric C. amorphosa (Ridley & Dendy, 1886). The definition of this genus was modified and its geographical and bathymetric distributions now extend from the coast of Argentina to the northeastern coast of Brazil (state of Bahia) and from deep (1.097 m) to shallow (14-20 m) waters, respectively.

The order Axinellida (Porifera: Demospongiae) in California

“…Six species of Phycopsis are known from the tropical South Pacific, with single species known from the North Atlantic and South Atlantic. The South Atlantic species P. styloxeata, mentioned above, is the most similar to the new species, but has multiple size categories of styles, and all spicules are much smaller than the new species described here (see table 1 in Lage et al 2013).…”

“…Sponges in the genus Phycopsis have a similar skeletal structure as Axinella , but are characterized by having surface projections (Alvarez & Hooper 2002). These sponges are also usually upright and branching, but P. styloxeata (Lage et al . 2013), from Brazil, is cushion-shaped.…”

“…Sponges in the genus Phycopsis have a similar skeletal structure as Axinella, but are characterized by having surface projections (Alvarez & Hooper 2002). These sponges are also usually upright and branching, but P. styloxeata (Lage et al 2013), from Brazil, is cushionshaped. Though surface projections are a dubious taxonomic character, we place the current sponge in this genus, as it fits poorly in any other genus in the family.…”