In this paper we report and describe material of Halichondriidae sampled at 11 different stations in the Brazilian northeastern coast. Halichondria (Halichondria) marianae sp. nov. is a massively encrusting sponge, with firm texture, soft, fleshy, but compact and compressible. Color in vivo is dark green, becoming grayish or brown after fixation in ethanol; the spicules are smooth oxeas. Amorphinopsis atlantica from the Northeastern Brazil is thickly encrusting to massively, also with firm texture, color in vivo is usually yellow to dark green and both distributed in different regions, brownish after fixation in ethanol; the spicules are smooth oxeas and styles. A taxonomic study of these samples is given, including description and illustrations.

The genus Neopetrosia was characterized by has fine brushes of oxeas issued from subectosomal tracts and compact choanosomal network. We report and describe here specimens collected in the coast of Brazil: Neopetrosia sulcata sp. nov. and Neopetrosia proxima. The first was previously recorded from Brazil as Neopetrosia proxima, but it was found that these specimens corresponded to a new species. Thus, we provide here the characterization of N. proxima from Brazilian coast. A taxonomic study of Brazilian samples is given, including description, illustrations and geographic distribution, combined with the comparison of the new species with all other descriptions of Neopetrosia from Atlantic.

The life history of marine invertebrates is intrinsically related to the environmental conditions of their habitats. However, the effect of environmental factors on life history traits, e.g. reproduction, is poorly understood due to difficulties in cultivating these animals in controlled conditions. Natural experiments, using latitudinal gradients, provide an alternative to better understand this relationship. We investigated the effect of environmental factors on some aspects of the reproduction of Tedania ignis (Porifera, Demospongiae) along a latitudinal gradient in the Western Atlantic Ocean (WAO). We assessed the predicted trade-off between size and fecundity and biogeographical patterns in some of the life history traits of this sponge species. Except for the southernmost population, all populations of T. ignis reproduced aperiodically, but their reproductive dynamics were modulated by different sets of environmental factors. Therefore, this trait seems to be a physiological adaptation to local conditions. Nonetheless, the species reproduced mainly when the temperature was above 21°C, which could be a factor limiting its distribution along the tropical WAO. We did not detect any trade-off between size and quantity of oocytes and larvae in this species. A possible explanation is that the species invests low energy in offspring in a given period, resulting in a low but continuous reproductive effort, independently of the environmental conditions. These findings will be important to support management plans, as this species is a potential target for obtaining biotechnological natural products.

We report and describe material of Clathria (Clathria) (Poecilosclerida: Microcionina: Microcionidae) collected from the coast of Brazil: Clathria (C.) nicoleae sp. nov., Clathria (C.) calypso and Clathria (C.) prolifera. Clathria (C.) calypso is also redescribed. Specimens previously recorded from Brazil as Clathria (C.) prolifera were considered to fit better in the taxon Clathria (Wilsonella). The new species was compared with all other (twenty-five) Clathria (C.) species occurring in the Atlantic. The new species differs from the other species by overall morphology and presence of auxiliary tylo-strongyle megascleres.

No abstract