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Family Aplysinidae Carter, 1875 Genus Aiolochroia Wiedenmayer, 1977, Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on page 86, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Wiedenmayer, F. (1977) Shallow-water sponge of the western Bahamas. Experientia Supplementum, 28, 1 - 287, pls. 1 - 43. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / 978 - 3 - 0348 - 5797 - 0"]}

Scopalina ruetzleri (Wiedenmayer, 1977) Tables 6, 7; Figs. 54A–C, 58I Synonymy and references: Ulosa ruetzleri Wiedenmayer (1977: 145); “ Ulosa ” ruetzleri, Dictyonella ruetzleri: see references compiled in Muricy et al. (2011: 92); Scopalina ruetzleri: Gómez (2007: 62), Hajdu et al. (2011: 124), Muricy et al. (2011: 92), Rützler et al. (2014: 74), and Pérez et al. (2017: 12). Type locality. The Bahamas. Material examined. CNPGG-2183, Cayo Arcas reef (20.19491°N, 91.95741°W), 8.7 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 18 August 2018; CNPGG-2201, Cayo Arcas reef (20.19566°N, 91.95997°W), 9.3 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 20 August 2018; CNPGG-2215, Cayo Arcas reef (20.19963°N, 91.96680°W), 4.1 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 22 August 2018; CNPGG-2455, Madagascar reef (21.43933°N, 90.27813°W), 9.8 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 06 March 2019. Distribution. Mexico (Gómez 2007; De la Cruz-Francisco & Bandala-Pérez 2016; current records), Bermuda, Bahamas, US (Florida), Cuba, other countries in the Caribbean Sea (Rützler et al. 2014); Brazil (Muricy et al. 2011). Remarks. Scopalina ruetzleri has been reported in the northern (Rützler et al. 2009) and the SGoM (Gómez 2007). Although we have only collected material from reefs (Cayo Arcas reef and Madagascar reef), this species is a common one along the coral reefs in the Campeche Bank: Triangulos reef, Obispo reef, Alacranes reef, and Cayo Arenas reef. Genus Svenzea Alvarez, van Soest & Rützler, 2002, Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on pages 59-60, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Wiedenmayer, F. (1977) Shallow-water sponge of the western Bahamas. Experientia Supplementum, 28, 1 - 287, pls. 1 - 43. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / 978 - 3 - 0348 - 5797 - 0","Muricy, G., Lopes, D. A., Hajdu, E., Carvalho, M. D. S., Moraes, F. C., Klautau, M., Menegola, C. & Pinheiro, U. (2011) Catalogue of Brazilian Porifera. Serie livros 46. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, 300 pp.","Gomez, P. (2007) Inventario de las esponjas del Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano, con nuevos Registros de Especies (Porifera: Demospongiae). In: Jimenez-Hernandez, M. J.; Granados-Barba, A. & Ortiz-Lozano, L. (Eds.), Investigaciones Cientificas en el Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano. Universidad Autonoma de Campeche, Campeche, pp. 51 - 72.","Hajdu, E., Peixinho, S. & Fernandez, J. C. (2011) Esponjas marinhas da Bahia: guia de campo e laboratorio. Museu Nacional / UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 276 pp.","Rutzler, K., Piantoni, C., Van Soest, R. W. M. & Diaz, M. C. (2014) Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay. Zootaxa, 3805 (1), 1 - 129. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3805.1.1","Perez, T., Diaz, M. C., Ruiz, C., Condor-Lujan, B., Klautau, M., Hajdu, E., Lobo-Hajdu, G., Zea, S., Pomponi, S. A., Thacker, R. W., Carteron, S., Tollu, G., Pouget-Cuvelier, A., Thelamon, P., Marechal, J. P., Thomas, O. P., Ereskovsky, A. V., Vacelet, J. & Boury-Esnault, N. (2017) How a collaborative integrated taxonomic effort has trained new spongiologists and improved knowledge of Martinique Island (French Antilles, eastern Caribbean Sea) marine biodiversity. PLoS ONE, 12, e 0173859. https: // doi. org / 10.1371 / journal. pone. 0173859","De la Cruz-Francisco, V. & Bandala-Perez, A. E. (2016) Esponjas y Cnidarios (Hydrozoa y Anthozoa) del arrecife Oro Verde; cobertura bentonica y afinidad faunistica con sistemas arrecifales de Veracruz, Mexico. Occeanides, 31, 45 - 64. https: // doi. org / 10.37543 / oceanides. v 31 i 2.185","Rutzler, K., Soest, R. W. M. Van & Piantoni, C. (2009) Sponges (Porifera) of the Gulf of Mexico. In: Felder, D. L. & Camp, D. K. (Eds.), Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota. Texas A & M Press, College Station, Texas, pp. 285 - 313.","Alvarez, B., van Soest, R. W. M. & Rutzler, K. (2002) Svenzea, a new genus of Dictyonellidae (Porifera: Demospongiae) from tropical reef environments, with description of two new species. Contributions to Zoology, 71, 171 - 176. https: // doi. org / 10.1163 / 18759866 - 07104007"]}

Clathria (Thalysias) venosa (Alcolado, 1984) Tables 6, 7; Figs. 43A–H, 45J Synonymy and references: Microciona venosa Alcolado (1984: 6), Hooper (1996: 411), and Gómez (2014: 70); Clathria venosa, Hajdu et al. (2011: 136), Pérez et al. (2017: 11); Clathria (Thalysias) venosa: Hooper (1996: 411), Rützler et al. (2014: 62), and Gómez (2014: 70). Type locality. Caribbean, Cuba. Material examined. CNPGG-2404, Hornos reef (19.19083°N, 96.11777°W), 3 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 27 August 2018; CNPGG-2410, Isla Verde reef (19.19844°N, 96.06863°W), 3.5 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 28 August 2018; CNPGG-2445, Isla Verde reef (19.20588°N, 96.07305°W), 7.8 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 31 August 2018. Distribution. Mexico (Gómez 2014; current records), Cuba (Alcolado 1984), other countries in the Caribbean Sea, Brazil (Zea et al. 2014). Remarks. Clathria (T.) venosa is distinguished by its encrusting habit, with a stellate venous pattern at surface flowing to oscules; its color is pink, greyish, and whitish to cinnamon. C. (T.) venosa has been recorded and described for the southern (Gómez 2014) and the northern GoM (Zea et al. 2014). The species abundance has been shown to be positively correlated with urban organic pollution on coral reefs, exhibiting a significant exponential relation with the pollution degree (Busutil & Alcolado 2012)., Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on page 49, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Alcolado, P. M. (1984) Nuevas especies de esponjas encontradas en Cuba. Poeyana, 271, 1 - 21.","Hooper, J. N. A. (1996) Revision of Microcionidae (Porifera: Poecilosclerida: Demospongiae), with description of Australian species. Memoir of the Queensland Museum, 40, 1 - 626.","Gomez, P. (2014) The genus Clathria from the Gulf of Mexico and Mexican Caribbean, with redescription and resurrection of Clathria carteri (Poecilosclerida: Microcionidae). Zootaxa, 3790 (1), 51 - 85. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3790.1.3","Hajdu, E., Peixinho, S. & Fernandez, J. C. (2011) Esponjas marinhas da Bahia: guia de campo e laboratorio. Museu Nacional / UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 276 pp.","Perez, T., Diaz, M. C., Ruiz, C., Condor-Lujan, B., Klautau, M., Hajdu, E., Lobo-Hajdu, G., Zea, S., Pomponi, S. A., Thacker, R. W., Carteron, S., Tollu, G., Pouget-Cuvelier, A., Thelamon, P., Marechal, J. P., Thomas, O. P., Ereskovsky, A. V., Vacelet, J. & Boury-Esnault, N. (2017) How a collaborative integrated taxonomic effort has trained new spongiologists and improved knowledge of Martinique Island (French Antilles, eastern Caribbean Sea) marine biodiversity. PLoS ONE, 12, e 0173859. https: // doi. org / 10.1371 / journal. pone. 0173859","Rutzler, K., Piantoni, C., Van Soest, R. W. M. & Diaz, M. C. (2014) Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay. Zootaxa, 3805 (1), 1 - 129. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3805.1.1","Alcolado, P. M. & Busutil, L. (2012) Inventario de las esponjas neriticas del Parque Nacional de Guadalupe. Series Oceanologica, 10, 62 - 76."]}

Desmapsamma anchorata (Carter, 1882) Tables 6, 7; Figs. 49A–C, 58D Synonymy and references: Fibularia anchorata Carter (1882: 283); Desmacidon carterianum Arndt (1927: 147); Desmapsamma anchorata: Gómez (2002: 77), Hajdu et al. (2011: 151), Muricy et al. (2011: 162), and Pérez et al. (2017: 11); Desmacidon reptans, Echinoclathria (Holopsamma) helwigi and Holopsamma helwigi, see references compiled in Muricy et al. (2011: 162). Type locality. Antigua. Material examined. CNPGG-2443, Cabezo reef (19.05086°N, 95.82388°W), 10.4 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 30 August 2018; CNPGG-1754 Alacranes reef (22.3529”N, 89.6723”W) 12 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 7 March 2012; CNPGG-1756 Alacranes reef (22.3830N, 89.6796”W), coll. Patricia Gómez, 6 August 2009; CNPGG-1757 Alacranes reef (22.3670”N, 89.6751”W), coll. Patricia Gómez, 3 August 2009. Distribution. Mexico (Green et al. 1986; Gómez 2002, 2007; current records), Cuba, other countries in the Caribbean Sea (Zea 1987); Brazil (Hajdu et al. 2011). Remarks. Desmapsamma anchorata is a common species in the SGoM, Veracruz’s reefs (Green et al. 1986; Gómez 2002, 2007), and northeastern Yucatan Peninsula. Our specimens match in all characteristics the original description of Carter (1882)., Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on page 55, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Carter, H. (1882) Some Sponges from the West Indies and Acapulco in the Liverpool Free Museum described, with general and classificatory Remarks. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 9, 266 - 347. https: // doi. org / 10.1080 / 00222938209459039","Arndt, W. (1927) Kalk- und Kieselschwamme von Curacao. Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde, 25, 133 - 158, pls. I - III. https: // doi. org / 10.1163 / 26660644 - 02501006","Gomez, P. (2002) Esponjas marinas del Golfo de Mexico y el Caribe. AGT Editors S. A, Mexico, D. F., 134 pp.","Hajdu, E., Peixinho, S. & Fernandez, J. C. (2011) Esponjas marinhas da Bahia: guia de campo e laboratorio. Museu Nacional / UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 276 pp.","Muricy, G., Lopes, D. A., Hajdu, E., Carvalho, M. D. S., Moraes, F. C., Klautau, M., Menegola, C. & Pinheiro, U. (2011) Catalogue of Brazilian Porifera. Serie livros 46. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, 300 pp.","Perez, T., Diaz, M. C., Ruiz, C., Condor-Lujan, B., Klautau, M., Hajdu, E., Lobo-Hajdu, G., Zea, S., Pomponi, S. A., Thacker, R. W., Carteron, S., Tollu, G., Pouget-Cuvelier, A., Thelamon, P., Marechal, J. P., Thomas, O. P., Ereskovsky, A. V., Vacelet, J. & Boury-Esnault, N. (2017) How a collaborative integrated taxonomic effort has trained new spongiologists and improved knowledge of Martinique Island (French Antilles, eastern Caribbean Sea) marine biodiversity. PLoS ONE, 12, e 0173859. https: // doi. org / 10.1371 / journal. pone. 0173859","Green, G., Fuentes, V. L. & Gomez, P. (1986) Nuevos registros de Porifera del arrecife la Blanquilla, Veracruz Mexico. Anales del Centro de Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, 27, 9 - 11.","Gomez, P. (2007) Inventario de las esponjas del Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano, con nuevos Registros de Especies (Porifera: Demospongiae). In: Jimenez-Hernandez, M. J.; Granados-Barba, A. & Ortiz-Lozano, L. (Eds.), Investigaciones Cientificas en el Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano. Universidad Autonoma de Campeche, Campeche, pp. 51 - 72.","Zea, S. (1987) Esponjas del Caribe Colombiano. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas - INVEMAR, Santa Marta, 283 pp."]}

Igernella notabilis (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) Tables 6, 7; Figs. 74A–B, 79D Synonymy and references: Euryades notabilis Duchassaing & Michelotti (1864: 106); Darwinella joyeuxi Topsent (1889:17); Igernella notabilis: Muricy et al. (2011: 55), Rützler et al. (2014: 96), Pérez et al. (2017: 9), and van Soest (2017: 18); Darwinella joyeuxi, Euryades notabilis, Igernella joyeuxi: see references compiled in Muricy et al. (2011: 55). Type locality. St. Thomas. Material examined. CNPGG-1133, Alacranes reef (22.3670°N, 89.6751°W), 12 m depth, coll. Patricia Gómez, 03 August 2012; CNPGG-1770, Sisal reef (21.4416°N, 90.2913°W), 12 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 24 January 2013; CNPGG-2234, Triangulo Este reef (20.90°N, 92.2340°W), 10 m depth, coll. Deneb Ortigosa, 11 August 2017; CNPGG-2244, CNPGG-2252, Triangulo Oeste reef (20.95178°N, 92.30963°W), 9–23 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 09 September 2017; CNPGG-2295, Banco Obispo Norte reef (20.49111°N, 92.20296°W), 14 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 13 September 2017. Distribution. Mexico (Topsent 1889 as Darwinella joyeuxi; current records), Bermuda (Rützler et al. 2014), Cuba (Alcolado 2002), other countries in the Caribbean Sea; Guyana, and Brazil (van Soest 2017). Remarks. Only three species of Igernella have been reported worldwide: Igenella mirabilis Lévi 1961 from the Indo-Pacific, I. vansoesti Uriz & Maldonado 1996 from Cape Verde, and the current I. notabilis. We agree with the comment by van Soest (2017) on the need to verify the presence of I. vansoesti from Cape Verde reported in the GoM, since both materials differ in habit and skeletal measurements. Igernella notabilis has been reported in Campeche by Topsent (1889), and is a common species in the coral reefs of the area. The distinctive habit of the species in the GoM region was the presence of short tubes joined in a row, a common form in other parts of the Caribbean. There is only one report with encrusting shape 5 mm thick, due to its juvenile state (Rutzler et al. 2014). Order Dictyoceratida Minchin, 1900, Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on pages 81-82, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Duchassaing, F. P. & Michelotti, G. (1864) Spongiaires de la mer Caraibe. Natuurkundige verhandelingen van de Hollandsche maatschappij der wetenschappen te Haarlem, 21, 1 - 124.","Topsent, E. (1889) Quelques spongiaires du Banc de Campeche et de la Pointe-a-Pitre. Memoires de la Societe zoologique de France, 2, 30 - 52.","Muricy, G., Lopes, D. A., Hajdu, E., Carvalho, M. D. S., Moraes, F. C., Klautau, M., Menegola, C. & Pinheiro, U. (2011) Catalogue of Brazilian Porifera. Serie livros 46. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, 300 pp.","Rutzler, K., Piantoni, C., Van Soest, R. W. M. & Diaz, M. C. (2014) Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay. Zootaxa, 3805 (1), 1 - 129. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3805.1.1","Perez, T., Diaz, M. C., Ruiz, C., Condor-Lujan, B., Klautau, M., Hajdu, E., Lobo-Hajdu, G., Zea, S., Pomponi, S. A., Thacker, R. W., Carteron, S., Tollu, G., Pouget-Cuvelier, A., Thelamon, P., Marechal, J. P., Thomas, O. P., Ereskovsky, A. V., Vacelet, J. & Boury-Esnault, N. (2017) How a collaborative integrated taxonomic effort has trained new spongiologists and improved knowledge of Martinique Island (French Antilles, eastern Caribbean Sea) marine biodiversity. PLoS ONE, 12, e 0173859. https: // doi. org / 10.1371 / journal. pone. 0173859","van Soest, R. W. M. (2017) Sponges of the Guyana Shelf. Zootaxa, 4217 (1), 1 - 225. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4217.1.1","Alcolado, P. M. (2002) Catalogo de las esponjas de Cuba. Avicennia, 15, 53 - 72.","Uriz, M. J. & Maldonado, M. (1996) The genus Igernella (Demospongiae: Dendroceratida) with description of a new species from the central Atlantic. In: Willenz, P. (Ed.), Recent advances in sponge biodiversity inventory and documentation. Bulletin de l'Institut royal des Sciences naturelles de Belgique, Biologie, 66 (Supplement), pp. 153 - 163."]}

Family Suberitidae Schmidt, 1870 Genus Suberites Nardo, 1833, Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on page 67, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Schmidt, O. (1870) Grundzuge einer Spongien-Fauna des atlantischen Gebietes. Wilhelm Engelmann, Leipzig, 88 pp., VI pls.","Nardo, G. D. (1833) s. n. In: Auszug aus einem neuen System der Spongiarien, wonach bereits die Aufstellung in der Universitats- Sammlung zu Padua gemacht ist. Isis, oder Encyclopadische Zeitung Coll. Oken, Jena, pp. 519 - 523."]}

Amphimedon compressa Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 Tables 6, 7; Figs. 30A–B, 36M Synonymy and references: Amphimedon arborscens Lamarck (1814: 446); Spongia arborescens Lamarck (1814: 446); Spongia rubens Duchassaing & Michelotti (1864: 41); Amphimedon arborescens Duchassaing & Michelotti (1864: 79); Haliclona rubens Laubenfels de (1953: 519), Hartman (1955: 167), Green (1977: 86); Amphimedon arborscens var. ensiformis Duchassaing & Michelotti (1864: 79); Haliclona (Amphimedon) compressa, Amphimedon aff. compressa and Amphimedon sp.: see references compiled in Muricy et al. (2011: 103); Amphimedon compressa Duchassaing & Michelotti (1864: 78), Green et al. (1986: 134), Gómez (2002:82), Muricy et al. (2011: 103). Type locality. The Virgin Islands. Material examined. CNPGG –1900, Alacranes reef (22.39255°N, 89.69508°W), 5 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 15 May 2016; CNPGG –1950, Cayo Arcas reef (20.19161°N, - 91.99086°W), 12.5 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 23 August 2016; CNPGG –2290, Banco Obispo Norte reef (20.4946°N, - 92.20378°W), 24 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 13 September 2017; CNPGG –2403, Hornos reef (19.19083°N, - 96.11777°W), 3 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 27 August 2018; CNPGG –2419, Isla Verde reef (19.20166°N, - 96.07094°W), 3.8 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 28 August 2018; CNPGG –2437, CNPGG –2438, CNPGG –2440, Cabezo reef (19.05086°N, - 95.82388°W), 9.3–9.5 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 28 August 2018. Distribution. Mexico (Hartman 1955; Green 1977 as Haliclona rubens; Gómez & Green 1984; Green et al. 1986; Gómez 2002; Maas-Vargas 2004; González-Gándara et al. 2009; De la Cruz-Francisco & Bandala-Pérez 2016; current records), Bahamas, US (Florida), other countries in the Caribbean Sea; Brazil (Muricy et al. 2011). Remarks. Amphimedon compressa is a common inhabitant of the coral reefs in the GoM; it has been recorded in different coral reefs of Veracruz (Green et al. 1986; Gómez 2007, 2011; González-Gándara et al. 2009), as well as in the Campeche Bank by Hartman (1955, as Haliclona rubens). We observed this species frequently in different coral reefs at the Campeche Bank. A. compressa had also been reported by several authors, in the northern GoM (Rützler et al. 2009) and off Quintana Roo (Gómez 2002; Maas-Vargas 2004)., Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on page 38, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Duchassaing, F. P. & Michelotti, G. (1864) Spongiaires de la mer Caraibe. Natuurkundige verhandelingen van de Hollandsche maatschappij der wetenschappen te Haarlem, 21, 1 - 124.","Lamarck, J. B. P. (1814) Sur les polypiers empates. Memoires du Museum d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, [1815], 294 - 312 + 370 - 386 + 432 - 458.","Laubenfels, M. W. de (1953) Sponges from the Gulf of Mexico. Bullentin of Marine Science of the Gulf and Caribbean, 2, 511 - 557.","Hartman, W. D. (1955) A collection of sponges from the west coast of the Yucatan Peninsula with descriptions of two new species. Bulletin of Marine Science of the Gulf and Caribbean, 5, 161 - 189.","Green, G. (1977) Sinopsis Taxonomica de esponjas de la Blanquilla. Anales del Centro de Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, 1, 79 - 98.","Muricy, G., Lopes, D. A., Hajdu, E., Carvalho, M. D. S., Moraes, F. C., Klautau, M., Menegola, C. & Pinheiro, U. (2011) Catalogue of Brazilian Porifera. Serie livros 46. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, 300 pp.","Green, G., Fuentes, V. L. & Gomez, P. (1986) Nuevos registros de Porifera del arrecife la Blanquilla, Veracruz Mexico. Anales del Centro de Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, 27, 9 - 11.","Gomez, P. (2002) Esponjas marinas del Golfo de Mexico y el Caribe. AGT Editors S. A, Mexico, D. F., 134 pp.","Gomez, P. & Green, G. (1984) Sistematica de las esponjas Marinas de Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Anales del Instituto Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, 11, 65 - 90.","Maas-Vargas, M. G. (2004) Inventario de las esponjas marinas (Porifera: Demospongiae) de la Coleccion de Referencia de bentos costeros de ECOSUR. Universidad y ciencia, 20, 23 - 28.","Gonzalez-Gandara, C., Patino-Garcia, A., Asis-Anastasio, U., Serrano, A. & Gomez, P. (2009) Lista de esponjas marinas asociadas al arrecife Tuxpan, Veracruz, Mexico. Revista Mexicana De Biodiversidad, 1 - 5. https: // doi. org / 10.22201 / ib. 20078706 e. 2009.001.576","De la Cruz-Francisco, V. & Bandala-Perez, A. E. (2016) Esponjas y Cnidarios (Hydrozoa y Anthozoa) del arrecife Oro Verde; cobertura bentonica y afinidad faunistica con sistemas arrecifales de Veracruz, Mexico. Occeanides, 31, 45 - 64. https: // doi. org / 10.37543 / oceanides. v 31 i 2.185","Gomez, P. (2007) Inventario de las esponjas del Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano, con nuevos Registros de Especies (Porifera: Demospongiae). In: Jimenez-Hernandez, M. J.; Granados-Barba, A. & Ortiz-Lozano, L. (Eds.), Investigaciones Cientificas en el Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano. Universidad Autonoma de Campeche, Campeche, pp. 51 - 72.","Gomez, P. (2011) Esponjas marinas y de agua dulce. In: Cruz, A. (Ed.), La biodiversidad en Veracruz: Estudio de Estado. Vol II. Comision Nacional para el Conocimiento y uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO), Gobierno del Estado de Veracruz, Universidad Veracruzana, Instituto de Ecologia, Veracruz, pp. 217 - 224.","Rutzler, K., Soest, R. W. M. Van & Piantoni, C. (2009) Sponges (Porifera) of the Gulf of Mexico. In: Felder, D. L. & Camp, D. K. (Eds.), Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota. Texas A & M Press, College Station, Texas, pp. 285 - 313."]}

Neopetrosia proxima (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) Tables 6, 7; Figs. 33A–C, 45A–B Synonymy and references: Thalysias proxima Duchassaing & Michelotti (1864: 84), and van Soest et al. (1983: 198); Densa araminta, Neofibularia proxima and Xestospongia próxima: see references compiled in Muricy et al. (2011: 106); Neopetrosia proxima, Muricy et al. (2011: 106), Santos et al. (2016: 336), Pérez et al. (2017: 10), van Soest (2017: 35), and Vicente et al. (2019: 8). Type locality. St. Thomas. Material examined. CNPGG-2376, CNPGG-2264 Banco Pera reef (20.72669°N, - 91.93481°W), 20 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 15 September 2017. Description. Habit elongate or massive. The size of the specimen with an elongate habit (CNPGG-2264, Fig. 45A), ca. 20 × 6 × 2 cm. The larger massive specimen (CNPGG-2376, Fig. 45B), ca. 20 ×10 × 2 cm. Surface microhispid and undulated. Oscules are slightly aligned (elongate specimen) or scattered (massive specimen). Color in vivo pale orange, pinkish-beige, or brownish-beige preserved in ethanol. The consistency is hard but friable. Skeleton. Ectosome is not easily detachable, and the tangential skeleton shows a rounded mesh; ca. 150–200 µm in diameter (Fig. 33A). Choanosome with a similar skeleton arrangement to the ectosomal skeleton. The choanosomal region with wide channels; up to 1500 µm width (Fig. 33B). Spicules. Megascleres: Oxeas, slightly curved (Fig. 33C); 132– 147 (10)–165/7– 9.2 (1.3)–12 µm. Distribution. Mexico (current records), US (Florida); other countries in the Caribbean Sea, Guyana, and Brazil (van Soest 2017). Remarks. Only two species of Neopetrosia have been reported in the northern GoM, N. carbonaria and N. subtriangularis (Rützler et al. 2009). N. subtriangularis has been also reported in the southern section of the GoM (e.g., Green 1977; Green et al. 1986; Gómez 2007). Neopetrosia proxima has also been reported in Guyana by van Soest (2017). Our study is the first record of N. proxima for the GoM, since it has not been recorded in any recent revision study of sponges from the region (Gómez 2007; Rützler et al. 2009; Ugalde et al. 2015).

Svenzea cristinae Alvarez, van Soest & Rützler, 2002 Tables 6, 7; Figs. 55A–C, 58J Synonymy and references: Svenzea cristinae, Alvarez et al. (2002: 173). Type locality. Belize. Material examined. CNPGG-2473 and CNPGG-2474, Alacranes reef (22.4952°N, 89.7723°W), 6 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 18 May 2016. Description. Cushion shaped habit, cavernous (Fig. 58J); overall size, base with 5.2 × 3.3 × 2.5 cm and papillae with 1.2 cm high. Surface microhispid with irregular placed visible pores. Part of the surface as a translucent membrane in shallow depressions. Round to irregular oscules, scattered, up to 0.9 cm in diameter. It is an ochre yellow color in vivo, light beige when in ethanol. The consistency is elastic and compressible. Skeleton. The choanosomal skeleton with loose sinuous tracts of spicules in an irregular reticulation; round meshes, elongated to polygonal, up to 500 µm in diameter (Fig. 55A). Tracts of spicules protruding outside the surface. Debris and sand grains above the surface and in the choanosomal region (Fig. 55B). Spicules. Megascleres: Strongylote-shaped styles, curved to sinuous and smooth (Fig. 55C). Base with blunt tips. Apex blunt (more frequent), acerate or as a small tip; 210– 324.7 (65.3)–450/3– 4.4 (1)–7 µm. Distribution. Mexico (current records), Belize, and Jamaica (Alvarez et al. 2002). Remarks. Svenzea cristinae was originally recorded in Belize and Jamaica, and our specimens match both external and internal morphology of materials described in Alvarez et al. (2002). However, slight differences among specimens can be discerned, probably due to the different environmental conditions. For example, mangrove roots, 0.5 m deep in the type material, and the coral reef 6 m deep in our material. The type has purple or pinkish areas in its yellow background, which lack in our material. Oxeas (60–340 / 3.7–10 µm) depicted as less frequent or absent in the original description, are entirely absent in our reef specimens, which also have thinner styles than those seen in the type material (11.2 µm in Jamaica, up to 17.5 µm in Belize). Six valid species of Svenzea are reported in the TNwA, S. cristinae, and S. flava, with the same external morphology, specifically their massive encrusting shape and yellow color. However, they differ in their skeletal arrangement and details of spicule morphology and dimensions (Table 4, S. flava description below). Our specimens represent the first record of S. cristinae for the GoM.

Svenzea cristinae Alvarez, van Soest & Rützler, 2002 Tables 6, 7; Figs. 55A–C, 58J Synonymy and references: Svenzea cristinae, Alvarez et al. (2002: 173). Type locality. Belize. Material examined. CNPGG-2473 and CNPGG-2474, Alacranes reef (22.4952°N, 89.7723°W), 6 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 18 May 2016. Description. Cushion shaped habit, cavernous (Fig. 58J); overall size, base with 5.2 × 3.3 × 2.5 cm and papillae with 1.2 cm high. Surface microhispid with irregular placed visible pores. Part of the surface as a translucent membrane in shallow depressions. Round to irregular oscules, scattered, up to 0.9 cm in diameter. It is an ochre yellow color in vivo, light beige when in ethanol. The consistency is elastic and compressible. Skeleton. The choanosomal skeleton with loose sinuous tracts of spicules in an irregular reticulation; round meshes, elongated to polygonal, up to 500 µm in diameter (Fig. 55A). Tracts of spicules protruding outside the surface. Debris and sand grains above the surface and in the choanosomal region (Fig. 55B). Spicules. Megascleres: Strongylote-shaped styles, curved to sinuous and smooth (Fig. 55C). Base with blunt tips. Apex blunt (more frequent), acerate or as a small tip; 210– 324.7 (65.3)–450/3– 4.4 (1)–7 µm. Distribution. Mexico (current records), Belize, and Jamaica (Alvarez et al. 2002). Remarks. Svenzea cristinae was originally recorded in Belize and Jamaica, and our specimens match both external and internal morphology of materials described in Alvarez et al. (2002). However, slight differences among specimens can be discerned, probably due to the different environmental conditions. For example, mangrove roots, 0.5 m deep in the type material, and the coral reef 6 m deep in our material. The type has purple or pinkish areas in its yellow background, which lack in our material. Oxeas (60–340 / 3.7–10 µm) depicted as less frequent or absent in the original description, are entirely absent in our reef specimens, which also have thinner styles than those seen in the type material (11.2 µm in Jamaica, up to 17.5 µm in Belize). Six valid species of Svenzea are reported in the TNwA, S. cristinae, and S. flava, with the same external morphology, specifically their massive encrusting shape and yellow color. However, they differ in their skeletal arrangement and details of spicule morphology and dimensions (Table 4, S. flava description below). Our specimens represent the first record of S. cristinae for the GoM., Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on page 60, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Alvarez, B., van Soest, R. W. M. & Rutzler, K. (2002) Svenzea, a new genus of Dictyonellidae (Porifera: Demospongiae) from tropical reef environments, with description of two new species. Contributions to Zoology, 71, 171 - 176. https: // doi. org / 10.1163 / 18759866 - 07104007"]}

Spirastrella coccinea (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) Tables 6, 7; Figs. 20A–D, 36C Synonymy and references: Thalysias coccinea Duchassaing & Michelotti (1864: 84); Spirastrella coccinea de Laubenfels (1936: 22), de Laubenfels (1949a: 19), de Laubenfels (1950: 96), van Soest (1981: 5), Macintyre et al. (1982: 134), van Soest et al. (1983: 199), Thomas (1985: 304), Vacelet (1990: 22), Gómez 2007: 55, Rützler et al. (2009: 296), Muricy et al. (2011: 70), Alcolado & Busutil (2012: 68), Rützler et al. (2014: 37), Ugalde et al. (2015: 160), van Soest (2017: 172). Type locality. St. Thomas. Material examined. CNPGG-2251, Triangulo Oeste reef (20.9641°N, - 92.3019°W), 9 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 09 September 2017; CNPGG-2375, Banco Pera reef (20.72669°N, - 91.93481°W), 20 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 15 September 2017; CNPGG-2414, Isla Verde reef (19.19844°N, - 96.06863°W), 6 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 28 August 2018. Distribution. Mexico (Gómez 2007, 2011; De la Cruz-Francisco & Bandala-Pérez 2016; current records), Bermuda (de Laubenfels 1950), Bahamas, US (Florida), other countries in the Caribbean Sea, Brazil (Muricy et al. 2011). Remarks. Spirastrella is characterized by possessing tylostyles in a variety of lenghts and spirasters of one or more types, in some cases with bifurcations in their rays. However, the length in both the spirasters and tylostyles overlapp among species, which complicates species identification. The two species have three spirasters that differ in S. coccinea for being larger than in S. mollis. Although the tylostyles are similar in length in both species, in S. coccinea they are thinner than in S. mollis. Spirastrella coccinea is a common species in the coral reefs of the GoM; it was previously recorded from the Veracruz Reef System (Gómez 2007, 2011), and now from different coral reefs at the Campeche Bank, and additional materials from the Veracruz Coral Reef System., Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on page 28, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Duchassaing, F. P. & Michelotti, G. (1864) Spongiaires de la mer Caraibe. Natuurkundige verhandelingen van de Hollandsche maatschappij der wetenschappen te Haarlem, 21, 1 - 124.","Laubenfels, M. W. de (1936) A Discussion of the Sponge Fauna of the Dry Tortugas in Particular and the West Indies in General, with Material for a Revision of the Families and Orders of the Porifera. Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1936, 1 - 225.","Laubenfels, M. W. de (1949 a) Sponges of the western Bahamas. American Museum Novitates, 1 - 25.","Laubenfels, M. W. de (1950) The Porifera of the Bermuda Archipielago. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London, 27, 1 - 154. https: // doi. org / 10.1111 / j. 1096 - 3642.1950. tb 00227. x","van Soest, R. W. M. (1981) A checklist of the Curacao sponges (Porifera Demospongiae) including a pictorial key to the more common reef-forms. Verslagen en Technische Gegevens Instituut voor Taxonomische Zoologie (Zoologisch Museum) Universiteit van Amsterdam, 31, 1 - 39.","Macintyre, I. G., Rutzler, K., Norris, J. N. & Fauchald, K. (1982) A submarine cave near Columbus Cay, Belize: a bizarre cryptic habitat. In: Rutzle, K. & Macintyre, I. G. (Eds.), The Atlantic Barrier Reef Ecosystem at Carrie Bow Bay, Belize, I: Structure and Communities. Smithsonian Press, Smithsonian Contributions to Marine Science, Washington, D. C., pp. 127 - 141. https: // doi. org / 10.5479 / si. 01960768.12.127","van Soest, R. W. M., Stone, S. M., Boury-Esnault, N. & Rutzler, K. (1983) Catalogue of the Duchassaing & Michelotti (1864) collection of West Indian sponges (Porifera). Bulletin Zoologisch Museum, Universiteit van Amsterdam, 9, 189 - 205.","Thomas, P. A. (1985) Demospongiae of the Gulf of Mannar and Palk Bay. In: James, P. S. B. (Ed.), Recent Advances in Marine Biology. Today Tomorrow's Printers and Publishers, New Delhi, pp. 205 - 635.","Vacelet, J. (1990) Les spongiaires. In: Le Monde Marin, La Grande Encyclopedie de la Caraibe. Editions Caraibes, Pointe a Pitre, pp. 16 - 33.","Gomez, P. (2007) Inventario de las esponjas del Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano, con nuevos Registros de Especies (Porifera: Demospongiae). In: Jimenez-Hernandez, M. J.; Granados-Barba, A. & Ortiz-Lozano, L. (Eds.), Investigaciones Cientificas en el Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano. Universidad Autonoma de Campeche, Campeche, pp. 51 - 72.","Rutzler, K., Soest, R. W. M. Van & Piantoni, C. (2009) Sponges (Porifera) of the Gulf of Mexico. In: Felder, D. L. & Camp, D. K. (Eds.), Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota. Texas A & M Press, College Station, Texas, pp. 285 - 313.","Muricy, G., Lopes, D. A., Hajdu, E., Carvalho, M. D. S., Moraes, F. C., Klautau, M., Menegola, C. & Pinheiro, U. (2011) Catalogue of Brazilian Porifera. Serie livros 46. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, 300 pp.","Alcolado, P. M. & Busutil, L. (2012) Inventario de las esponjas neriticas del Parque Nacional de Guadalupe. Series Oceanologica, 10, 62 - 76.","Rutzler, K., Piantoni, C., Van Soest, R. W. M. & Diaz, M. C. (2014) Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay. Zootaxa, 3805 (1), 1 - 129. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3805.1.1","Ugalde, D., Gomez, P. & Simoes, N. (2015) Marine sponges (Porifera: Demospongiae) from the Gulf of Mexico, new records and redescription of Erylus trisphaerus (de Laubenfels, 1953). Zootaxa, 3911 (2), 151 - 183. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3911.2.1","van Soest, R. W. M. (2017) Sponges of the Guyana Shelf. Zootaxa, 4217 (1), 1 - 225. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4217.1.1","Gomez, P. (2011) Esponjas marinas y de agua dulce. In: Cruz, A. (Ed.), La biodiversidad en Veracruz: Estudio de Estado. Vol II. Comision Nacional para el Conocimiento y uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO), Gobierno del Estado de Veracruz, Universidad Veracruzana, Instituto de Ecologia, Veracruz, pp. 217 - 224.","De la Cruz-Francisco, V. & Bandala-Perez, A. E. (2016) Esponjas y Cnidarios (Hydrozoa y Anthozoa) del arrecife Oro Verde; cobertura bentonica y afinidad faunistica con sistemas arrecifales de Veracruz, Mexico. Occeanides, 31, 45 - 64. https: // doi. org / 10.37543 / oceanides. v 31 i 2.185"]}

Family Biemnidae Hentschel, 1923 Genus Neofibularia Hechtel, 1965, Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on page 20, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Hechtel, G. J. (1965) A systematic study of the Demospongiae of Port Royal, Jamaica. Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, 20, 1 - 103."]}

Neopetrosia proxima (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) Tables 6, 7; Figs. 33A–C, 45A–B Synonymy and references: Thalysias proxima Duchassaing & Michelotti (1864: 84), and van Soest et al. (1983: 198); Densa araminta, Neofibularia proxima and Xestospongia próxima: see references compiled in Muricy et al. (2011: 106); Neopetrosia proxima, Muricy et al. (2011: 106), Santos et al. (2016: 336), Pérez et al. (2017: 10), van Soest (2017: 35), and Vicente et al. (2019: 8). Type locality. St. Thomas. Material examined. CNPGG-2376, CNPGG-2264 Banco Pera reef (20.72669°N, - 91.93481°W), 20 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 15 September 2017. Description. Habit elongate or massive. The size of the specimen with an elongate habit (CNPGG-2264, Fig. 45A), ca. 20 × 6 × 2 cm. The larger massive specimen (CNPGG-2376, Fig. 45B), ca. 20 ×10 × 2 cm. Surface microhispid and undulated. Oscules are slightly aligned (elongate specimen) or scattered (massive specimen). Color in vivo pale orange, pinkish-beige, or brownish-beige preserved in ethanol. The consistency is hard but friable. Skeleton. Ectosome is not easily detachable, and the tangential skeleton shows a rounded mesh; ca. 150–200 µm in diameter (Fig. 33A). Choanosome with a similar skeleton arrangement to the ectosomal skeleton. The choanosomal region with wide channels; up to 1500 µm width (Fig. 33B). Spicules. Megascleres: Oxeas, slightly curved (Fig. 33C); 132– 147 (10)–165/7– 9.2 (1.3)–12 µm. Distribution. Mexico (current records), US (Florida); other countries in the Caribbean Sea, Guyana, and Brazil (van Soest 2017). Remarks. Only two species of Neopetrosia have been reported in the northern GoM, N. carbonaria and N. subtriangularis (Rützler et al. 2009). N. subtriangularis has been also reported in the southern section of the GoM (e.g., Green 1977; Green et al. 1986; Gómez 2007). Neopetrosia proxima has also been reported in Guyana by van Soest (2017). Our study is the first record of N. proxima for the GoM, since it has not been recorded in any recent revision study of sponges from the region (Gómez 2007; Rützler et al. 2009; Ugalde et al. 2015)., Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on page 40, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Duchassaing, F. P. & Michelotti, G. (1864) Spongiaires de la mer Caraibe. Natuurkundige verhandelingen van de Hollandsche maatschappij der wetenschappen te Haarlem, 21, 1 - 124.","van Soest, R. W. M., Stone, S. M., Boury-Esnault, N. & Rutzler, K. (1983) Catalogue of the Duchassaing & Michelotti (1864) collection of West Indian sponges (Porifera). Bulletin Zoologisch Museum, Universiteit van Amsterdam, 9, 189 - 205.","Muricy, G., Lopes, D. A., Hajdu, E., Carvalho, M. D. S., Moraes, F. C., Klautau, M., Menegola, C. & Pinheiro, U. (2011) Catalogue of Brazilian Porifera. Serie livros 46. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, 300 pp.","Santos, G. G., Sandes, J., Cabral, A. & Pinheiro, U. (2016) Neopetrosia de Laubenfels, 1949 from Brazil: Description of a new species and a review of records (Haplosclerida: Demospongiae: Porifera). Zootaxa, 4114 (3), 331 - 340. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4114.3.8","Perez, T., Diaz, M. C., Ruiz, C., Condor-Lujan, B., Klautau, M., Hajdu, E., Lobo-Hajdu, G., Zea, S., Pomponi, S. A., Thacker, R. W., Carteron, S., Tollu, G., Pouget-Cuvelier, A., Thelamon, P., Marechal, J. P., Thomas, O. P., Ereskovsky, A. V., Vacelet, J. & Boury-Esnault, N. (2017) How a collaborative integrated taxonomic effort has trained new spongiologists and improved knowledge of Martinique Island (French Antilles, eastern Caribbean Sea) marine biodiversity. PLoS ONE, 12, e 0173859. https: // doi. org / 10.1371 / journal. pone. 0173859","van Soest, R. W. M. (2017) Sponges of the Guyana Shelf. Zootaxa, 4217 (1), 1 - 225. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4217.1.1","Vicente, J., Rios, J. A., Zea, S. & Toonen, R. J. (2019) Molecular and morphological congruence of three new cryptic Neopetrosia spp in the Caribbean. PeerJ, 2019, 1 - 30. https: // doi. org / 10.7717 / peerj. 6371","Rutzler, K., Soest, R. W. M. Van & Piantoni, C. (2009) Sponges (Porifera) of the Gulf of Mexico. In: Felder, D. L. & Camp, D. K. (Eds.), Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota. Texas A & M Press, College Station, Texas, pp. 285 - 313.","Green, G. (1977) Sinopsis Taxonomica de esponjas de la Blanquilla. Anales del Centro de Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, 1, 79 - 98.","Green, G., Fuentes, V. L. & Gomez, P. (1986) Nuevos registros de Porifera del arrecife la Blanquilla, Veracruz Mexico. Anales del Centro de Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, 27, 9 - 11.","Gomez, P. (2007) Inventario de las esponjas del Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano, con nuevos Registros de Especies (Porifera: Demospongiae). In: Jimenez-Hernandez, M. J.; Granados-Barba, A. & Ortiz-Lozano, L. (Eds.), Investigaciones Cientificas en el Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano. Universidad Autonoma de Campeche, Campeche, pp. 51 - 72.","Ugalde, D., Gomez, P. & Simoes, N. (2015) Marine sponges (Porifera: Demospongiae) from the Gulf of Mexico, new records and redescription of Erylus trisphaerus (de Laubenfels, 1953). Zootaxa, 3911 (2), 151 - 183. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3911.2.1"]}

Family Agelasidae Verrill, 1907 Genus Agelas Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864, Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on page 9, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Verrill, A. E. (1907) The Bermuda Islands: Part V. An account of the Coral Reefs (Characteristic Life of the Bermuda Coral Reefs). Porifera: Sponges. Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, 12, 330 - 344. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. part. 28921","Duchassaing, F. P. & Michelotti, G. (1864) Spongiaires de la mer Caraibe. Natuurkundige verhandelingen van de Hollandsche maatschappij der wetenschappen te Haarlem, 21, 1 - 124."]}

Prosuberites carriebowensis Rützler, Piantoni, van Soest & Díaz, 2014 Tables 6, 7; Figs. 8A–B, 16G Synonymy and references: Prosuberites carriebowensis Rützler et al. (2014: 41), and van Soest (2017: 120). Type locality. Belize Material examined. CNPGG-2238, Triangulo Oeste reef (20.96221°N, - 92.31128°W), 16 m depth, coll. Julio Duarte, 08 September 2017; CNPGG-2211, Cayo Arcas reef (20.20183°N, - 91.97583°W), 6.9 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 20 August 2018. Description. Thinly encrusting habit (Fig. 16G), the larger specimen measures 1.5 × 0.8 × 0.1 cm. Surface irregular and hispid with elevated oscules, covered by a translucent membrane. Orange color in vivo, yellowishorange preserved in ethanol. Consistency difficult to discern, highly delicate. Skeleton. Hymedesmioid skeleton type, tylostyles arranged vertically with their heads positioned into the basal spongin plate—no ectosomal specialization (Fig. 8A). Spicules. Megascleres: tylostyles in two size categories (Fig. 8B). Large tylostyles slightly curved to very curved shaft, with a small head, clearly set off, in a large size range, 350– 880 (449.1)–1800/10– 12.4 (2.5)–18 µm, tyle thickness 12– 15.7 (2.6)–20 µm. Small tylostyles, also large, but slightly thicker than the previous category, 200– 536.7 (241.6)–920/6– 15.8 (4.1)–20 µm, tyle 9.6– 20.6 (4.3)–24 µm thick. Distribution. Mexico (current records), Belize (Rützler et al. 2014). Remarks. Our material shows similarities with the original description of P. carriebowensis by Rützler et al. (2014); viz., thinly encrusting habit, irregular surface (slightly rugose) with dispersed and slightly elevated oscules, presence of translucent membrane over the surface, and orange color in vivo. However, the specimens described here have slightly larger and thinner tylostyles; viz., our material with 350–1800/10–18 μm (larger tylostyles) and 200–920/6–20 μm (small tylostyles) vs. material of Rützler et al. (2014) 240–840/15–30 μm (type I) and 230– 1550/9–25 (type II). Besides, we observe a simple hymedesmioid architecture from most of our material’s skeleton, while Rützler et al. (2014) have described bunches of tylostyles. This study presents the first record of Prosuberites carriebowensis for the GoM. Order Axinellida Lévi, 1953, Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on pages 15-16, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Rutzler, K., Piantoni, C., Van Soest, R. W. M. & Diaz, M. C. (2014) Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay. Zootaxa, 3805 (1), 1 - 129. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3805.1.1","van Soest, R. W. M. (2017) Sponges of the Guyana Shelf. Zootaxa, 4217 (1), 1 - 225. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4217.1.1"]}

Family Crambeidae Lévi, 1963 Genus Monanchora Carter, 1883, Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on page 53, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Carter, H. J. (1883) Contributions to our Knowledge of the Spongida. Annals and Magazine of Natural History, 5, 308 - 329. https: // doi. org / 10.1080 / 00222938309459636"]}

Haliclona (Soestella) caerulea (Hechtel, 1965) Tables 6, 7; Figs. 29A–C, 36L Synonymy and references: Sigmadocia caerulea Hechtel (1965: 30); Haliclona coerulescens, Haliclona (Reniera) coerulescens, Haliclona (Soestella) caerulea: Gómez (2007: 63), Sigmadocia caerulea and Sigmadocia coerulea: see references compiled in de Weerdt (2000: 29); Haliclona caerulea: de Weerdt (2000: 29), Hajdu et al. (2011: 180) and Bispo et al. (2016: 241); Haliclona coerulea: Pérez et al. (2017: 10). Type locality. Jamaica. Material examined. CNPGG-2396, Hornos reef (19.19083°N, - 96.11777°W), 2.2 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 27 August 2018; CNPGG-2421, Isla Verde reef (19.19844°N, - 96.06863°W), 7.3 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 28 August 2018. Distribution. Mexico (Gómez 2007; current records), Cuba (Alcolado 1976), other Caribbean Sea countries to Brazil (Weerdt de 2000). Remarks. Haliclona (Soestella) caerulea is characterized by a combination of shape, bright blue color, skeletal architecture, and the presence of sigmas 15–30 µm long, which distinguish it from Haliclona (Soestella) piscaderaensis, also with sigmas, but smaller (7–12.5 µm) (de Weerdt 2000). Haliclona. (S.) caerulea has only been registered for the GoM from the Veracruz reefs (Gómez 2007, 2011; this work). De Weerdt (2000) has mentioned that the predominant environment of the species lies in the roots of mangroves and in waters shallower than 27 m. In the GoM, the species is known from shallow coral reefs., Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on page 37, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Hechtel, G. J. (1965) A systematic study of the Demospongiae of Port Royal, Jamaica. Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, 20, 1 - 103.","Gomez, P. (2007) Inventario de las esponjas del Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano, con nuevos Registros de Especies (Porifera: Demospongiae). In: Jimenez-Hernandez, M. J.; Granados-Barba, A. & Ortiz-Lozano, L. (Eds.), Investigaciones Cientificas en el Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano. Universidad Autonoma de Campeche, Campeche, pp. 51 - 72.","Weerdt de, W. H. (2000) A monograph of the shallow-water Chalinidae (Porifera, Haplosclerida) of the Caribbean. Beufortia, 50 (1), 1 - 73.","Hajdu, E., Peixinho, S. & Fernandez, J. C. (2011) Esponjas marinhas da Bahia: guia de campo e laboratorio. Museu Nacional / UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 276 pp.","Bispo, A., Correia, M. D. & Hajdu, E. (2016) Two new shallow-water species of Haliclona from north-eastern Brazil (Demospongiae: Haplosclerida: Chalinidae). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 96, 237 - 249. https: // doi. org / 10.1017 / s 0025315414000344","Perez, T., Diaz, M. C., Ruiz, C., Condor-Lujan, B., Klautau, M., Hajdu, E., Lobo-Hajdu, G., Zea, S., Pomponi, S. A., Thacker, R. W., Carteron, S., Tollu, G., Pouget-Cuvelier, A., Thelamon, P., Marechal, J. P., Thomas, O. P., Ereskovsky, A. V., Vacelet, J. & Boury-Esnault, N. (2017) How a collaborative integrated taxonomic effort has trained new spongiologists and improved knowledge of Martinique Island (French Antilles, eastern Caribbean Sea) marine biodiversity. PLoS ONE, 12, e 0173859. https: // doi. org / 10.1371 / journal. pone. 0173859","Alcolado, P. M. (1976) Lista de nuevos registros de poriferos para Cuba. Serie Oceanologica, Academia de Ciencias de Cuba, 36, 1 - 11.","Gomez, P. (2011) Esponjas marinas y de agua dulce. In: Cruz, A. (Ed.), La biodiversidad en Veracruz: Estudio de Estado. Vol II. Comision Nacional para el Conocimiento y uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO), Gobierno del Estado de Veracruz, Universidad Veracruzana, Instituto de Ecologia, Veracruz, pp. 217 - 224."]}

Myrmekioderma rea (de Laubenfels 1934) Tables 6, 7; Figs. 12A–G, 16L Synonymy and references: Anacanthaea rea de Laubenfels (1934: 11); Epipolasis rea, Epipolasis reiswigi and Myrmekioderma styx: see references compiled in Muricy et al. (2011: 96); Myrmekioderma rea: Muricy et al. (2011: 96), Rützler et al. (2014: 72), Pérez et al. (2017: 11), and van Soest (2017: 56). Type locality. Puerto Rico. Material examined. CNPGG-2261, Triangulo Oeste reef (20.95629°N, - 92.308609°W), 8 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 10 September 2017; CNPGG-2433, Cabezo reef (19.05086°N, - 95.82388°W), 8.3 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 30 August 2018. Description. Massive habit; larger specimen size 7.5 × 5 × 3 cm (Fig. 16L). Surface slightly irregular, covered by sand and calcareous debris. Pores are not visible. Oscules scattered up to 2 mm diameter. Color in vivo orangishyellow, pinkish beige preserved in ethanol. Consistency firm and slightly resilient. Skeleton. The ectosomal region is constituted by acanthoxeas perpendicular to the surface in a palisade-like structure (Fig. 12A). Some acanthoxeas in a paratangential and criss-cross arrangement (Fig. 12B). It is covered by a crust of sand grains and calcareous debris, up to 200 µm thick. Choanosomal region with longitudinal tracts (up to 120 µm thick) of large oxeas towards the surface. The large oxeas are also scattered in between. Raphides scattered throughout the skeleton; in trichodragmas. Rounded channels, up to 100 µm diameter, are horizontally aligned beneath the palisade of acanthoxeas. Channels scattered in the choanosome, up to 130 µm in diameter. Scattered debris was also found in the choanosomal region (Fig. 12B). Spicules. Megascleres: Large oxeas with styloid and strongylote modifications, stout, slightly curved to sinuous, some forms double bent, and smooth (Fig. 12C). The tips are conical, stepped, or blunt; 535– 807 (161.3)– 1110/8– 11.5 (1.5)–14 µm (Figs. 12D–E). Acanthoxeas are slightly curved to sinuous; some are double bent, covered irregularly with minute spines, sometimes smoother at the middle region (Figs. 12F–G). With sharp and acerate tips; 235– 362 (48.9)–420/7.2– 10.7 (2)–14 µm. Microscleres: raphides very thin; 120– 150.3 (20.7)–180 µm in length. Distribution. Mexico (current records), US (Florida), Barbados, Bahamas, Cuba, other countries in the Caribbean Sea (Diaz et al. 1993); Guyana (van Soest 2017). Remarks. Van Soest (2017) believed the observed variability in Guyana’s specimens obtained from the same trawl (98 m and 65 m depth) was intraspecific. He observed variation in the habit (i.e., broad knoll, club-shaped body or finger-shaped body) and spiculation (i.e., the shape of oxeas and number of categories of oxeas and raphides). We extend this intraspecific variation of M. rea by considering specimens from Belize (Rützler et al. 2014) and the GoM (present study), both no deeper than 20 m. These specimens have massive cushion shape habits. In adition, spicule measurements of the Mexican specimens analyzed in our study (particularly of oxeas) are thinner than those in specimens from Belize and Guyana. However, in general, our material’s spicule measurements are more similar to specimens from Belize than the ones from Guyana (Table 1). Intraspecific variation of Myrmekioderma rea can be observed in Brazilian specimens too (Rosa-Barbosa 1995, Mothes et al. 2004, 2006). They were all reported with a massive habit, similar to our material’s and Belize’s (Rützler et al. 2014), but devoid of raphides in northern Brazil (Mothes et al. 2004), and possessing styles (744.2– 1497/10–23.9 µm) and small trichodragmas (23–92/4.6–13 µm) in materials reported by Mothes et al. (2006), from southern Brazil. These variations deviate from typical spiculation of M. rea in specimens from Guyana, the Caribbean region, and the GoM (our material) (Table 1). Previous and the present records of M. rea are from shallow to mesophotic depths on coral reefs (de Laubenfels 1953; van Soest & Stentoft 1988; Díaz et al. 1993; Rützler et al. 2014), and from muddy sand bottoms down to 100 m depth (van Soest 2017). Order Biemnida Morrow, 2013, Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on pages 19-20, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Laubenfels, M. W. de (1934) New sponges from the Puerto Rican deep. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, 91, 1 - 28.","Muricy, G., Lopes, D. A., Hajdu, E., Carvalho, M. D. S., Moraes, F. C., Klautau, M., Menegola, C. & Pinheiro, U. (2011) Catalogue of Brazilian Porifera. Serie livros 46. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, 300 pp.","Rutzler, K., Piantoni, C., Van Soest, R. W. M. & Diaz, M. C. (2014) Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay. Zootaxa, 3805 (1), 1 - 129. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3805.1.1","Perez, T., Diaz, M. C., Ruiz, C., Condor-Lujan, B., Klautau, M., Hajdu, E., Lobo-Hajdu, G., Zea, S., Pomponi, S. A., Thacker, R. W., Carteron, S., Tollu, G., Pouget-Cuvelier, A., Thelamon, P., Marechal, J. P., Thomas, O. P., Ereskovsky, A. V., Vacelet, J. & Boury-Esnault, N. (2017) How a collaborative integrated taxonomic effort has trained new spongiologists and improved knowledge of Martinique Island (French Antilles, eastern Caribbean Sea) marine biodiversity. PLoS ONE, 12, e 0173859. https: // doi. org / 10.1371 / journal. pone. 0173859","van Soest, R. W. M. (2017) Sponges of the Guyana Shelf. Zootaxa, 4217 (1), 1 - 225. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4217.1.1","Diaz, M. C., Pomponi, S. A. & van Soest, R. W. M. (1993) A systematic revision of the central West Atlantic Halichondrida (Demospongiae, Porifera). Part III: Description of valid species. In: Uriz, M. J. & Rutzler, K. (Eds.), Recent Advances in Ecology and Systematics of Sponges. Scientia Marina, 57 (4), 283 - 306.","Mothes, B., Campos, M. A., Lerner, C. B. & Ferreira-Correia, M. M. (2004) Esponjas (Demospongiae, Halichondrida) da costa do Maranhao, Brasil. Iheringia, Serie Zoologia, 92, 149 - 154. https: // doi. org / 10.1590 / S 0073 - 47212004000200006","Rosa-Barbosa, R. (1995) Primeiro registro de Myrmekioderma styx Laubenfels, 1953 (PoriferaDemospongiae) no Atlantico Sudoeste com novos aportes para a caracterizacao da especie. Biociencias, 3, 119 - 128.","Mothes, B., Lerner, C. B. & Silva, C. M. M. (2006) Guia ilustrado de esponjas marinhas da costa sul-brasileira. 2 nd Edition. USEB, Pelotas, 119 pp.","Laubenfels, M. W. de (1953) Sponges from the Gulf of Mexico. Bullentin of Marine Science of the Gulf and Caribbean, 2, 511 - 557.","van Soest, R. W. M. & Stentoft, N. (1988) Barbados deep-water sponges. In: Hummelinck, P. W. & Van der Steen, L. J. (Eds.), Uitgaven van de Natuurwetenschappelijke Studiekring voor Suriname en de Nederlandse Antillen: No. 122. Studies on the Fauna of Curacao and other Caribbean Islands, 70 (215), pp. 1 - 175."]}

Neofibularia nolitangere (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) Tables 6, 7; Figs. 13A–C, 16M Synonymy and references: Amphimedon nolitangere Duchassaing & Michelotti (1864: 82); Fibularia massa, Fibulia nolitangere, Fibulia massa, Gellius massa, Neofibularia massa and Neofibularia nolitangere nolitangere: see references compiled in Hartman (1967: 7); Neofibularia nolitangere, Hajdu & van Soest (2002: 648) and Pérez et al. (2017: 11). Type locality. St. Thomas. Material examined. CNPGG-2206, Cayo Arcas reef (20.20183°N, - 91.97583°W), 6.7 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 20 August 2018. Description. Massive habit, growing in laterally fused tubes, sometimes volcano-shaped with an apical depression (Fig. 16M); the largest specimen measures up to 22 × 10 cm. Surface hispid, slightly rugose. Oscules are wide and oval-shaped up to 2 cm in diameter. Color in vivo dark red-brown and beige after fixation. The consistency is crumbly and brittle. Skeleton. Irregular reticulation of fibers cored by several spicules projecting out the fibers; meshes 200 µm in diameter (Figs. 13A–B). Spicules. Megascleres: Strongyles slightly curved 270– 317.6 (27.48)–350/8– 10.8 (1.5)–12 µm (Fig. 13C). Microscleres: straight microxeas 110– 116 (4.1)–120/8– 10.8 (1.5)–12 µm (Fig. 13C 1); raphides occurring singly 100– 107 (6.7)–115/2– 2.3 (0.5)–2.4 µm; sigmas 16– 17 (1.95)–20 µm (Fig. 13C 2). Distribution. Mexico (current records), Bahamas, US (North Carolina, Florida) (de Laubenfels 1936), other countries in the Caribbean Sea (Zea 1987). Remarks. Hartman (1967) revised specimens of Neofibularia nolitangere where sigmas had been overlooked by de Laubenfels (1936), and found them. These specimens perfectly matched additional materials from the former author, and Hechtel (1965) before him, described from Jamaica, including the presence of dermatitis-producing toxins. Specimens described here possess all three categories of microscleres, although the similar lengths of raphides and microxea raises the possibility of the former being merely juveniles of the latter. Contrary to Hartman’s (1967) report, we could not see distinctly arranged trichodragmas for either category, much the less both. Ours is the first record of this species in the SGoM. It was formerly known from the northern part of the GoM, in particular from Florida, as well as from the Caribbean (widely distributed) and the Bahamas. Order Bubarida Morrow & Cárdenas, 2015, Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on pages 20-21, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Duchassaing, F. P. & Michelotti, G. (1864) Spongiaires de la mer Caraibe. Natuurkundige verhandelingen van de Hollandsche maatschappij der wetenschappen te Haarlem, 21, 1 - 124.","Hartman, W. D. (1967) Revision of Neofibularia (Porifera, Demospongiae), a genus of toxic sponges from the West Indies and Australia. Postilla, 113, 1 - 41. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. part. 9000","Hajdu, E. & van Soest, R. W. M. (2002) Family Desmacellidae Ridley & Dendy, 1886. pp. 642 - 650. In: Hooper, J. N. A. & Van Soest, R. W. M. (Eds.), Systema Porifera. A guide to the classification of sponges. Vol. 1. Kluwer Academic / Plenum Publishers, New York, Boston, Dordrecht, London and Moscow, pp. 642 - 650. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / 978 - 1 - 4615 - 0747 - 5 _ 69","Perez, T., Diaz, M. C., Ruiz, C., Condor-Lujan, B., Klautau, M., Hajdu, E., Lobo-Hajdu, G., Zea, S., Pomponi, S. A., Thacker, R. W., Carteron, S., Tollu, G., Pouget-Cuvelier, A., Thelamon, P., Marechal, J. P., Thomas, O. P., Ereskovsky, A. V., Vacelet, J. & Boury-Esnault, N. (2017) How a collaborative integrated taxonomic effort has trained new spongiologists and improved knowledge of Martinique Island (French Antilles, eastern Caribbean Sea) marine biodiversity. PLoS ONE, 12, e 0173859. https: // doi. org / 10.1371 / journal. pone. 0173859","Laubenfels, M. W. de (1936) A Discussion of the Sponge Fauna of the Dry Tortugas in Particular and the West Indies in General, with Material for a Revision of the Families and Orders of the Porifera. Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1936, 1 - 225.","Zea, S. (1987) Esponjas del Caribe Colombiano. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas - INVEMAR, Santa Marta, 283 pp.","Hechtel, G. J. (1965) A systematic study of the Demospongiae of Port Royal, Jamaica. Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, 20, 1 - 103."]}

Tectitethya macrostella Sarà & Bavestrello, 1996 Tables 6, 7; Figs. 64A–E, 70H Synonymy and references: Tectitethya macrostella Sarà & Bavestrello (1996: 286), and Rützler et al. (2009: 297). Type locality. Florida. Material examined. CNPGG-2277, Triangulos Este reef (20.9177°N, 92.2162°W), 17 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 11 September 2017. Description. Massive habit (Fig. 70H); the overall size is 6 × 2 × 1 cm. The surface is irregular, although entirely covered by algae and sand. Foreign detritus is also scattered inside the body. Oscules in the top of the sponge. Black color in vivo and also in ethanol. The consistency is firm but slightly compressible. Skeleton. Ascending tracts or bundles of spicules are radially arranged, incorporating foreign detritus (Fig. 64A). Spicules. Megascleres. Straight anisostrongyles to strongyles (Figs. 64B–C), 650– 1084 (284.9)–1430/6– 15.4 (7.1)–27 µm, almost all the anisostrongyles were broken. Microscleres. Megasters (Figs. 64D–E) –oxyspherasters— with regular size 30– 43 (10)–60 µm, the number and shape of rays is variable, bent, or straight. Micrasters (Figs. 64D–E)—tylasters to strongylasters– 8– 11 (3.2)–20 µm, with variable number of rays. Distribution. Mexico (current records), US (Florida) (Sarà & Bavestrello 1996). Remarks. Our specimen conforms closely to the original description of Sarà & Bavestrello (1996). The main difference is the megaster oxyspheraster size range 20–65.3–100 µm (diameter) spanning further than observed in our specimen. Other characteristics of T. macrostella that distinguish it from its congeners are the maximum thickness attained by the diameter of its megascleres (mean 38.4 µm), and the largest diameter of the micrasters (mean 15 µm), which correspond to what we have observed in the material presently studied. Tectitethya macrostella was originally recorded in west Florida (Sarà & Bavestrello 1996) and has not been found elsewhere. Thus, this record shows a geographic extension of T. macrostella for the SGoM, and the first record of the species after its original description. The absence of records of Tectitethya macrostella within the numerous works around the Greater Caribbean (e.g. Hajdu et al. 2011; Rützler et al. 2014; van Soest 2017) most likely suggests that the species could be endemic to the GoM. Genus Tethya Lamarck, 1815, Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on pages 70-71, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Sara, M. & Bavestrello, G. (1996) West Indies genera Columnitis, Tectitethya and Nucleotethya new genus with description of new species (Porifera, Tethyidae). Bullentin of Marine Science, 59, 370 - 392.","Rutzler, K., Soest, R. W. M. Van & Piantoni, C. (2009) Sponges (Porifera) of the Gulf of Mexico. In: Felder, D. L. & Camp, D. K. (Eds.), Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota. Texas A & M Press, College Station, Texas, pp. 285 - 313.","Hajdu, E., Peixinho, S. & Fernandez, J. C. (2011) Esponjas marinhas da Bahia: guia de campo e laboratorio. Museu Nacional / UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 276 pp.","Rutzler, K., Piantoni, C., Van Soest, R. W. M. & Diaz, M. C. (2014) Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay. Zootaxa, 3805 (1), 1 - 129. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3805.1.1","van Soest, R. W. M. (2017) Sponges of the Guyana Shelf. Zootaxa, 4217 (1), 1 - 225. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4217.1.1"]}

Agelas sventres Lehnert & van Soest, 1996 Tables 6, 7; Figs. 6A–D, 16E Synonymy and references: Agelas sventres Lehnert & van Soest (1996:65); Agelas sventres: Muricy et al. (2011: 40), Rützler et al. (2014: 78), Parra-Velandia et al. (2014: 334), and Pérez et al. (2017: 11); Agelas clathrodes, Agelas dispar,? Agelas dispar,? Agelas sparsus and Agelas schmidtii: see references compiled in Parra-Velandia et al. (2014: 334). Type locality. Jamaica. Material examined. CNPGG-2442, Cabezo reef (19.05086°, N, - 95.82388°W), 10.4 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 30 August 2018. Description. Massive habit to lobed (Fig. 16E); size 3.4 × 2.3 cm. Surface smooth, irregular, but pierced by oval to round apertures, with aggregated pore areas. Oscules on the top of lobes. Orange color in vivo, beige after preserved in ethanol. Consistency is highly compressible. Skeleton. A reticulation of spongin fibers conforming irregularly rounded meshes up to 435 µm wide (Fig. 6A). Ascending fibers 100–150 µm thick, cored by several spicules. Interconnecting fibers uncored 30–60 µm thick. Fibers echinated by several spicules (Fig. 6B–C). Spicules. Megascleres: verticillate acanthostyles (Fig. 6D), with a smooth tip, stout, slightly curved, in a large size range, 80– 135.4 (32)–200/5– 10.9 (2.9)–14 µm. Distribution. Mexico (Green et al. 1986: as Agelas dispar; current records), other countries in the Caribbean Sea, Brazil (Parra-Velandia et al. 2014). Remarks. Agelas sventres was reported initially in Jamaica (51.8 m depth), with an elongate habit (fingershaped), orange color, a trabeculate skeleton with ascending fibres cored by acanthostyles (i.e., verticillate acanthostyles), 75–160/7–l6 µm (Lehnert & van Soest 1996). Parra-Velandia et al. (2014) have widely studied A. sventres from different localities in the Caribbean region (Bahamas, Barbados, Curaçao, Venezuela, Jamaica, and San Andrés Island), at 5 to 35 m depth, and they have described massive-lobate specimens, which vary from an elongated ball form (finger shape) to irregular multilobate ball forms. Besides, Parra-Velandia et al. (2014) have reported orange color (externally), trabecular skeleton (reticulate), and verticillate acanthostyles: 75–286/4–13 µm. Specimens in South America have only been recorded in northeastern Brazil, in Potiguar Basin, from ca. 50 m depth, with an erect habit (columnar and irregular to digitiform shape), bright orange to reddish-orange color, and verticillate acanthostyles: 86–189 µm (Muricy et al. 2008, 2011). The morphological character in our specimens matches closely with the descriptions of Lehnert & van Soest (1996) and Parra-Velandia et al. (2014), with a massive-lobate shape, orange color, reticulate skeleton with fibers cored by verticillate acanthostyles 80–200/5–14 µm. Our description fits well in the known A. sventres variability, thus confirming our identification and the species’ distribution in the region.

Agelas sventres Lehnert & van Soest, 1996 Tables 6, 7; Figs. 6A–D, 16E Synonymy and references: Agelas sventres Lehnert & van Soest (1996:65); Agelas sventres: Muricy et al. (2011: 40), Rützler et al. (2014: 78), Parra-Velandia et al. (2014: 334), and Pérez et al. (2017: 11); Agelas clathrodes, Agelas dispar,? Agelas dispar,? Agelas sparsus and Agelas schmidtii: see references compiled in Parra-Velandia et al. (2014: 334). Type locality. Jamaica. Material examined. CNPGG-2442, Cabezo reef (19.05086°, N, - 95.82388°W), 10.4 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 30 August 2018. Description. Massive habit to lobed (Fig. 16E); size 3.4 × 2.3 cm. Surface smooth, irregular, but pierced by oval to round apertures, with aggregated pore areas. Oscules on the top of lobes. Orange color in vivo, beige after preserved in ethanol. Consistency is highly compressible. Skeleton. A reticulation of spongin fibers conforming irregularly rounded meshes up to 435 µm wide (Fig. 6A). Ascending fibers 100–150 µm thick, cored by several spicules. Interconnecting fibers uncored 30–60 µm thick. Fibers echinated by several spicules (Fig. 6B–C). Spicules. Megascleres: verticillate acanthostyles (Fig. 6D), with a smooth tip, stout, slightly curved, in a large size range, 80– 135.4 (32)–200/5– 10.9 (2.9)–14 µm. Distribution. Mexico (Green et al. 1986: as Agelas dispar; current records), other countries in the Caribbean Sea, Brazil (Parra-Velandia et al. 2014). Remarks. Agelas sventres was reported initially in Jamaica (51.8 m depth), with an elongate habit (fingershaped), orange color, a trabeculate skeleton with ascending fibres cored by acanthostyles (i.e., verticillate acanthostyles), 75–160/7–l6 µm (Lehnert & van Soest 1996). Parra-Velandia et al. (2014) have widely studied A. sventres from different localities in the Caribbean region (Bahamas, Barbados, Curaçao, Venezuela, Jamaica, and San Andrés Island), at 5 to 35 m depth, and they have described massive-lobate specimens, which vary from an elongated ball form (finger shape) to irregular multilobate ball forms. Besides, Parra-Velandia et al. (2014) have reported orange color (externally), trabecular skeleton (reticulate), and verticillate acanthostyles: 75–286/4–13 µm. Specimens in South America have only been recorded in northeastern Brazil, in Potiguar Basin, from ca. 50 m depth, with an erect habit (columnar and irregular to digitiform shape), bright orange to reddish-orange color, and verticillate acanthostyles: 86–189 µm (Muricy et al. 2008, 2011). The morphological character in our specimens matches closely with the descriptions of Lehnert & van Soest (1996) and Parra-Velandia et al. (2014), with a massive-lobate shape, orange color, reticulate skeleton with fibers cored by verticillate acanthostyles 80–200/5–14 µm. Our description fits well in the known A. sventres variability, thus confirming our identification and the species’ distribution in the region., Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on pages 13-14, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Lehnert, H. & van Soest, R. W. M. (1996) North Jamaican Deep Fore-Reef ponges. Beufortia, 46, 53 - 81.","Muricy, G., Lopes, D. A., Hajdu, E., Carvalho, M. D. S., Moraes, F. C., Klautau, M., Menegola, C. & Pinheiro, U. (2011) Catalogue of Brazilian Porifera. Serie livros 46. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, 300 pp.","Rutzler, K., Piantoni, C., Van Soest, R. W. M. & Diaz, M. C. (2014) Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay. Zootaxa, 3805 (1), 1 - 129. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3805.1.1","Parra-Velandia, F. J., Zea, S. & van Soest, R. W. M. (2014) Reef sponges of the genus Agelas (Porifera: Demospongiae) from the Greater Caribbean. Zootaxa, 3794 (3), 301 - 343. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3794.3.1","Perez, T., Diaz, M. C., Ruiz, C., Condor-Lujan, B., Klautau, M., Hajdu, E., Lobo-Hajdu, G., Zea, S., Pomponi, S. A., Thacker, R. W., Carteron, S., Tollu, G., Pouget-Cuvelier, A., Thelamon, P., Marechal, J. P., Thomas, O. P., Ereskovsky, A. V., Vacelet, J. & Boury-Esnault, N. (2017) How a collaborative integrated taxonomic effort has trained new spongiologists and improved knowledge of Martinique Island (French Antilles, eastern Caribbean Sea) marine biodiversity. PLoS ONE, 12, e 0173859. https: // doi. org / 10.1371 / journal. pone. 0173859","Green, G., Fuentes, V. L. & Gomez, P. (1986) Nuevos registros de Porifera del arrecife la Blanquilla, Veracruz Mexico. Anales del Centro de Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, 27, 9 - 11.","Muricy, G., Esteves, E. L., Moraes, F. C., Santos, J. P., Silva, S. M., Almeida, E. V. R., Klautau, M. & Lanna, E. (2008) Biodiversidade Marinha da Bacia Potiguar: Porifera. Serie Livros 23. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, 156 pp."]}

Mycale (Arenochalina) laxissima (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) Tables 6, 7; Figs. 52A–D, 58G Synonymy and references: Acamas laxissima Duchassaing & Michelotti (1864: 95), and Muricy et al. (2011: 154); Acamasina laxissima de Laubenfels (1936: 117); Mycale hyatti Pulitzer-Finali (1986: 128); Mycale jamaicaensis Pulitzer-Finali (1986: 125); Mycale mucifliens Pulitzer-Finali (1986: 121); Mycale whitfieldi Pulitzer-Finali (1986: 127); Hircinia cartilaginea var. horrida, Esperella nuda, Mycale angulosa, Mycale nuda, Mycale (Acamasina) laxissima, Mycale (Arenochalina) laxissima, and Thorecta horridus: see references compiled in Muricy et al. (2011: 154); Mycale laxissima: Gómez (2002: 81), Hajdu et al. (2011: 165), and Muricy et al. (2011: 154). Type locality. St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands). Material examined. CNPGG-2416, Isla Verde reef (19.19844°N, 96.06863°W), 8 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 28 August 2018; CNPGG-1234, Madagascar reef (21.43847°N, 90.2810°W), 12 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 29 May 2012; CNPGG-1825, Alacranes reef (22.2701°N, 89.5412°W) 8 m depth, coll. Patricia Gómez, 10 August 2009; CNPGG-1829 Alacranes reef (22.386914°N, 89.6790°W), 7 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 13 December 2012; CNPGG-2267, Triangulos Oeste reef (20.96073°N, - 92.30751°W), 20 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 10 September 2017. Distribution. Mexico (Gómez & Green 1984 as M. (A.) angulosa; current records), Bahamas, US (Florida)(Zea 1987), and Brazil (Muricy et al. 2011). Remarks. Up to now, Mycale (M.) laxissima has been reported in the SGoM (Veracruz and the Campeche Bank reefs; Gómez 2002, 2007, 2011) and Florida (de Laubenfels 1936, 1953; as Mycale angulosa). Order Polymastiida Morrow & Cárdenas, 2015, Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on pages 57-58, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Duchassaing, F. P. & Michelotti, G. (1864) Spongiaires de la mer Caraibe. Natuurkundige verhandelingen van de Hollandsche maatschappij der wetenschappen te Haarlem, 21, 1 - 124.","Muricy, G., Lopes, D. A., Hajdu, E., Carvalho, M. D. S., Moraes, F. C., Klautau, M., Menegola, C. & Pinheiro, U. (2011) Catalogue of Brazilian Porifera. Serie livros 46. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, 300 pp.","Laubenfels, M. W. de (1936) A Discussion of the Sponge Fauna of the Dry Tortugas in Particular and the West Indies in General, with Material for a Revision of the Families and Orders of the Porifera. Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1936, 1 - 225.","Pulitzer-Finali, G. (1986) A collection of West Indian Demospongiae (Porifera). In appendix, a list of the Demospongiae hitherto recorded from the West Indies. Annali dei Museu civico di storia naturale Giacomo Doria, 86, 65 - 216.","Gomez, P. (2002) Esponjas marinas del Golfo de Mexico y el Caribe. AGT Editors S. A, Mexico, D. F., 134 pp.","Hajdu, E., Peixinho, S. & Fernandez, J. C. (2011) Esponjas marinhas da Bahia: guia de campo e laboratorio. Museu Nacional / UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 276 pp.","Gomez, P. & Green, G. (1984) Sistematica de las esponjas Marinas de Puerto Morelos, Quintana Roo, Mexico. Anales del Instituto Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, 11, 65 - 90.","Zea, S. (1987) Esponjas del Caribe Colombiano. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas - INVEMAR, Santa Marta, 283 pp.","Gomez, P. (2007) Inventario de las esponjas del Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano, con nuevos Registros de Especies (Porifera: Demospongiae). In: Jimenez-Hernandez, M. J.; Granados-Barba, A. & Ortiz-Lozano, L. (Eds.), Investigaciones Cientificas en el Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano. Universidad Autonoma de Campeche, Campeche, pp. 51 - 72.","Gomez, P. (2011) Esponjas marinas y de agua dulce. In: Cruz, A. (Ed.), La biodiversidad en Veracruz: Estudio de Estado. Vol II. Comision Nacional para el Conocimiento y uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO), Gobierno del Estado de Veracruz, Universidad Veracruzana, Instituto de Ecologia, Veracruz, pp. 217 - 224."]}

Amphimedon viridis Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 Tables 6, 7; Figs. 31A–C, 36N Synonymy and references: Amphimedon viridis Duchassaing & Michelotti (1864: 8), Green et al. (1986: 134), Hajdu et al. (2011:191), Muricy et al. (2011: 104); Hemihaliclona viridis Burton (1937: 18); Haliclona viridis Laubenfels de (1936: 42, 1953: 519), and Haliclona (Amphimedon) viridis: see references compiled in Muricy et al. (2011: 104). Type locality. St. Thomas. Material examined. CNPGG-2222, Cayo Arcas reef (20.20512°N, - 91.96305°W), 2 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 21 August 2018; CNPGG-2477, Isla de Enmedio Reef (19.09864°N, - 95.93680°W), 3.5 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 11 June 2019. Distribution. Mexico (Green 1977; Maas-Vargas 2004; Gómez 2007; current records), Bermuda, Bahamas, US (Florida), other countries in the Caribbean Sea, Brazil (Hajdu et al. 2011). Remarks. Amphimedon viridis has been reported in different works from the GoM. On the Mexican coast, the species was recorded in Blanquilla reef, Veracruz by Green et al. (1986), and later on by Gómez (2007) in different coral reefs around Veracruz Reef System. In the northern GoM, several authors cite A. viridis in this area (Rützler et al. 2009). Genus Niphates Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864, Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on pages 38-39, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Duchassaing, F. P. & Michelotti, G. (1864) Spongiaires de la mer Caraibe. Natuurkundige verhandelingen van de Hollandsche maatschappij der wetenschappen te Haarlem, 21, 1 - 124.","Green, G., Fuentes, V. L. & Gomez, P. (1986) Nuevos registros de Porifera del arrecife la Blanquilla, Veracruz Mexico. Anales del Centro de Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, 27, 9 - 11.","Hajdu, E., Peixinho, S. & Fernandez, J. C. (2011) Esponjas marinhas da Bahia: guia de campo e laboratorio. Museu Nacional / UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 276 pp.","Muricy, G., Lopes, D. A., Hajdu, E., Carvalho, M. D. S., Moraes, F. C., Klautau, M., Menegola, C. & Pinheiro, U. (2011) Catalogue of Brazilian Porifera. Serie livros 46. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, 300 pp.","Burton, M. (1937) Supplement to The Littoral Fauna of Krusadai Island in the Gulf of Manaar. Porifera. Bulletin of the Madras Government Museum (New Series, Natural History Section), 1, 1 - 58.","Laubenfels, M. W. de (1936) A Discussion of the Sponge Fauna of the Dry Tortugas in Particular and the West Indies in General, with Material for a Revision of the Families and Orders of the Porifera. Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1936, 1 - 225.","Green, G. (1977) Sinopsis Taxonomica de esponjas de la Blanquilla. Anales del Centro de Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, 1, 79 - 98.","Maas-Vargas, M. G. (2004) Inventario de las esponjas marinas (Porifera: Demospongiae) de la Coleccion de Referencia de bentos costeros de ECOSUR. Universidad y ciencia, 20, 23 - 28.","Gomez, P. (2007) Inventario de las esponjas del Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano, con nuevos Registros de Especies (Porifera: Demospongiae). In: Jimenez-Hernandez, M. J.; Granados-Barba, A. & Ortiz-Lozano, L. (Eds.), Investigaciones Cientificas en el Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano. Universidad Autonoma de Campeche, Campeche, pp. 51 - 72.","Rutzler, K., Soest, R. W. M. Van & Piantoni, C. (2009) Sponges (Porifera) of the Gulf of Mexico. In: Felder, D. L. & Camp, D. K. (Eds.), Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota. Texas A & M Press, College Station, Texas, pp. 285 - 313."]}

Strongylacidon bermuda (de Laubenfels, 1950) Tables 6, 7; Figs. 48A–B, 58C Synonymy and references: Fibulia bermuda de Laubenfels (1950: 52); Ulosa bermuda Rützler (1986: 121); Fibulia aff. bermuda and S trongylacidon aff. bermuda, Muricy et al. (2011: 190); Strongylacidon bermudae, Menegola et al. (2011: 4); Strongylacidon bermuda: Ugalde et al. (2015: 163). Type locality. Bermuda. Material examined. CNPGG-2170, Cayo Arcas reef (20.19491°N, 91.95741°W), 10 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 25 April 2018. Distribution. Mexico (Ugalde et al. 2015; current records), Bermuda (de Laubenfels, 1950). Remarks. Strongylacidon bermuda has previous records from Bermuda; viz., de Laubenfels (1950); as Fibulia bermuda, and Rutzler (1986); as Ulosa bermuda. It has recently been recorded for the SGoM by Ugalde et al. (2015), particularly in Alacranes reef, at 5 m depth. Apparently, it is relatively common in Bermuda, but it is rare in the GoM and was never recorded previously in the Caribbean Sea. It is certainly a shallow-water species since all previous species’ records were taken at 3–5 m depth. The current record is from 10 m., Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on page 54, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Laubenfels, M. W. de (1950) The Porifera of the Bermuda Archipielago. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London, 27, 1 - 154. https: // doi. org / 10.1111 / j. 1096 - 3642.1950. tb 00227. x","Rutzler, K. (1986) Phylum Porifera (Sponges). In: Sterrer, W. (Ed.), Marine Fauna and Flora of Bermuda. John Wiley & Sons, New York, New York, pp. 111 - 126.","Muricy, G., Lopes, D. A., Hajdu, E., Carvalho, M. D. S., Moraes, F. C., Klautau, M., Menegola, C. & Pinheiro, U. (2011) Catalogue of Brazilian Porifera. Serie livros 46. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, 300 pp.","Menegola, C., Garcia Santos, G. J., Moraes, F. & Muricy, G. (2011) Three new species of Strongylacidon (Chondropsidae: Poecilosclerida: Demospongiae) from north-east Brazil, with new morphological characters for the family. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 92 (5), 859 - 867. https: // doi. org / 10.1017 / S 0025315411000555","Ugalde, D., Gomez, P. & Simoes, N. (2015) Marine sponges (Porifera: Demospongiae) from the Gulf of Mexico, new records and redescription of Erylus trisphaerus (de Laubenfels, 1953). Zootaxa, 3911 (2), 151 - 183. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3911.2.1"]}

Xestospongia arenosa van Soest & de Weerdt, 2001 Tables 6, 7; Figs. 37A–C Synonymy and references: Xestospongia arenosa van Soest & de Weerdt (2001: 110), Rützler et al. (2014: 14), Pérez et al., (2017: 10), and Silva & Zea (2017: 120). Type locality. Curaçao. Material examined. CNPGG-2237, Triangulos Oeste reef (20.9622°N, - 92.3112°W), 15 m depth, coll. Gabriel Cervantes, 08 September 2017; CNPGG-2245, Triangulos Oeste reef (20.9517°N, - 92.3096°W), 23 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 09 September 2017. Description. Slightly encrusting habit. Specimen CNPGG-2245 is fragmented and excavating the coral rubble. The encrusting specimen’s size is 3.5 × 2.5 × 1 cm. Surface microhispid and undulated. Oscules are scattered. Color in vivo white, light-beige preserved in ethanol. The consistency is brittle, easily broken. Skeleton. Ectosome is detachable, and the tangential skeleton shows unispicular reticulation (Fig. 37A), enclosing meshes 150–270 µm in diameter. An isotropic reticulation conforms the choanosomal skeleton from ill-defined tracts, traversed single-spicules (Fig. 37B), and rounded meshes 350–500 µm in diameter. The skeleton that goes close to the surface is confused and vague. Spicules. Megascleres: Oxeas to styles, slightly curved, with a wide range in size (Fig.37C); 250– 375 (50.1)– 420/8.5– 14.3 (3.3)–19 µm. Distribution. Mexico (current records), Curaçao (van Soest & Weerdt de 2001), Belize (Rützler et al. 2014), Colombia, and Martinique (Silva & Zea 2017). Remarks. Our material of Xestospongia arenosa constitutes the first record of the species for the GoM. The present material’s overall features are similar to those from the original description, distinguished from other Xestospongia species by its loose reticulation, mainly of single spicules. Our specimens were inside the coral rubble with only a portion of their body exposed on the surface, contrasting to the massive morphology of specimens from van Soest & de Weerdt (2001) and Silva & Zea (2017). Characteristics matching our specimens and those described in van Soest & de Weerdt (2001) and Silva & Zea (2017) are the ectosomal skeleton with a unispicular isotropic reticulation, the triangular meshes, and the loose choanosomal skeleton with a reticulation of ascending primary spicule tracts. The length of spicules in our specimens were slightly smaller (250– 375 (50.1)–420/8.5– 14.3 (3.3)–19 µm) than in specimens recorded by van Soest & de Weerdt (2001): 342–431.2–508 × 7–10.1–14 µm, and Silva & Zea (2017): 300–436–508 × 16–19–29.2 µm. This difference in the spicules proportions could be due to the lower amounts of silica available in the GoM compared to other regions in the Atlantic ocean (Lanza-Espino de la & Gómez-Rojas 2004)., Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on page 44, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["van Soest, R. W. M. & Weerdt de, W. H. (2001) New records of Xestospongia species (Haplosclerida: Petrosidae) from the Curacao reefs, with a description of a new species. Beaufortia, 51, 109 - 118.","Rutzler, K., Piantoni, C., Van Soest, R. W. M. & Diaz, M. C. (2014) Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay. Zootaxa, 3805 (1), 1 - 129. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3805.1.1","Silva, J. A. & Zea, S. (2017) New records of sponges of the genera Petrosia and Xestospongia (Demospongiae: Haplosclerida: Petrosiidae) from the Colombian Caribbean. Boletin de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras, 46, 113 - 136. https: // doi. org / 10.25268 / bimc. invemar. 2017.46.1.718","Lanza-Espino de la, G. & Gomez-Rojas, J. (2004) Physical and chemical characteristics of the stratigraphy. In: Withers, K. & Nipper, M. (Eds.), Environmental Analysis of the Gulf of Mexico. Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies Special Publication Series No. 1. Harte Research Institute for Gulf of Mexico Studies, Mexico city, pp. 41 - 61."]}

Ectyoplasia ferox (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) Tables 6, 7; Figs. 9A–E, 16H–I Synonymy and references: Amphimedon ferox Duchassaing & Michelotti (1864: 81); Hymeniacidon amphilecta: de Laubenfels (1936: 137); Ectyoplasia ferox: Gómez (2007: 59), Hajdu et al. (2011: 140), Rützler et al. (2009: 299), Muricy et al. (2011: 149), and Rützler et al. (2014: 63); Ectyoplasia ferox surgens, see references compiled in Muricy et al. (2011: 149). Type locality. St. Thomas. Material examined. CNPGG-2186, CNPGG-2187, Cayo Arcas reef (20.21208°N, - 91.96083°W), 2.8–3 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 18 August 2018; CNPGG-2200, Cayo Arcas reef (20.19566°N, - 91.95997°W), 5.9 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 20 August 2018; CNPGG-2214, Cayo Arcas reef (20.19963°N, - 91.96680°W), 4.1 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 22 August 2018; CNPGG-1167, Alacranes reef (22.38830°N, - 89.70244°W), 12 m depth, coll. Patricia Gómez, 8 August 2009; CNPGG-2220, 2240, Triangulo Oeste reef (20.96185°N, - 92.30246°W), 6 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 08 August 2018; CNPGG-2407, Hornos reef (19.19083°N, - 96.11777°W), 4 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 27 August 2018; CNPGG-2411, CNPGG-2420, Isla Verde reef (19.19844°N, - 96.06863°W), 8 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 28 August 2018; CNPGG-2436, Cabezo reef (19.05086°N, - 95.82388°W), 9.5 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 30 August 2018. Distribution. Mexico (Gómez 2002, 2007; De la Cruz-Francisco & Gónzalez-Gónzalez 2016; current records), Cuba (Alcolado 2002), Bahamas, US (Florida), other countries in the Caribbean Sea, Brazil (Hajdu et al. 2011). Remarks. Ectyoplasia ferox is a common inhabitant of the coral reefs. It occurs around the reefs of Veracruz Reef System (Gómez 2002, 2007), Campeche Bank Reefs (current records), and off Quintana Roo (Maas-Vargas 2004), as well as other Caribbean countries. The species bears some colour and habit variation. Specimens can be ochre-yellow to orange, purplish, and greyish-brown, and they can inhabit variously exposed or cryptic microhabitats. According to Rützler et al. (2014), specimens from the light-exposed open reef more commonly form groups of laterally fused tubes, while those with encrusting shape seem typical for caves and other cryptic habitats. All of these have the same skeletal arrangement of plumose tracts formed by styles and clavulate acanthostyles, as well as no ectosomal specialization. For a detailed description, refer to Hajdu et al. (2011) and the references cited above., Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on pages 16-17, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Duchassaing, F. P. & Michelotti, G. (1864) Spongiaires de la mer Caraibe. Natuurkundige verhandelingen van de Hollandsche maatschappij der wetenschappen te Haarlem, 21, 1 - 124.","Laubenfels, M. W. de (1936) A Discussion of the Sponge Fauna of the Dry Tortugas in Particular and the West Indies in General, with Material for a Revision of the Families and Orders of the Porifera. Carnegie Institution of Washington, 1936, 1 - 225.","Gomez, P. (2007) Inventario de las esponjas del Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano, con nuevos Registros de Especies (Porifera: Demospongiae). In: Jimenez-Hernandez, M. J.; Granados-Barba, A. & Ortiz-Lozano, L. (Eds.), Investigaciones Cientificas en el Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano. Universidad Autonoma de Campeche, Campeche, pp. 51 - 72.","Hajdu, E., Peixinho, S. & Fernandez, J. C. (2011) Esponjas marinhas da Bahia: guia de campo e laboratorio. Museu Nacional / UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 276 pp.","Rutzler, K., Soest, R. W. M. Van & Piantoni, C. (2009) Sponges (Porifera) of the Gulf of Mexico. In: Felder, D. L. & Camp, D. K. (Eds.), Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota. Texas A & M Press, College Station, Texas, pp. 285 - 313.","Muricy, G., Lopes, D. A., Hajdu, E., Carvalho, M. D. S., Moraes, F. C., Klautau, M., Menegola, C. & Pinheiro, U. (2011) Catalogue of Brazilian Porifera. Serie livros 46. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, 300 pp.","Rutzler, K., Piantoni, C., Van Soest, R. W. M. & Diaz, M. C. (2014) Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay. Zootaxa, 3805 (1), 1 - 129. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3805.1.1","Gomez, P. (2002) Esponjas marinas del Golfo de Mexico y el Caribe. AGT Editors S. A, Mexico, D. F., 134 pp.","De la Cruz-Francisco, V. & Gonzalez-Gonzalez, M. (2016) Nuevos Registros de esponjas para el sistema Arrecifal Lobos Tuxpan, con ampliaciones de ambito de distribucion para el Golfo de Mexico. Boletin del Instituto de Oceanografia de Venezuela, 55, 51 - 59.","Alcolado, P. M. (2002) Catalogo de las esponjas de Cuba. Avicennia, 15, 53 - 72.","Maas-Vargas, M. G. (2004) Inventario de las esponjas marinas (Porifera: Demospongiae) de la Coleccion de Referencia de bentos costeros de ECOSUR. Universidad y ciencia, 20, 23 - 28."]}

Myrmekioderma rea (de Laubenfels 1934) Tables 6, 7; Figs. 12A–G, 16L Synonymy and references: Anacanthaea rea de Laubenfels (1934: 11); Epipolasis rea, Epipolasis reiswigi and Myrmekioderma styx: see references compiled in Muricy et al. (2011: 96); Myrmekioderma rea: Muricy et al. (2011: 96), Rützler et al. (2014: 72), Pérez et al. (2017: 11), and van Soest (2017: 56). Type locality. Puerto Rico. Material examined. CNPGG-2261, Triangulo Oeste reef (20.95629°N, - 92.308609°W), 8 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 10 September 2017; CNPGG-2433, Cabezo reef (19.05086°N, - 95.82388°W), 8.3 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 30 August 2018. Description. Massive habit; larger specimen size 7.5 × 5 × 3 cm (Fig. 16L). Surface slightly irregular, covered by sand and calcareous debris. Pores are not visible. Oscules scattered up to 2 mm diameter. Color in vivo orangishyellow, pinkish beige preserved in ethanol. Consistency firm and slightly resilient. Skeleton. The ectosomal region is constituted by acanthoxeas perpendicular to the surface in a palisade-like structure (Fig. 12A). Some acanthoxeas in a paratangential and criss-cross arrangement (Fig. 12B). It is covered by a crust of sand grains and calcareous debris, up to 200 µm thick. Choanosomal region with longitudinal tracts (up to 120 µm thick) of large oxeas towards the surface. The large oxeas are also scattered in between. Raphides scattered throughout the skeleton; in trichodragmas. Rounded channels, up to 100 µm diameter, are horizontally aligned beneath the palisade of acanthoxeas. Channels scattered in the choanosome, up to 130 µm in diameter. Scattered debris was also found in the choanosomal region (Fig. 12B). Spicules. Megascleres: Large oxeas with styloid and strongylote modifications, stout, slightly curved to sinuous, some forms double bent, and smooth (Fig. 12C). The tips are conical, stepped, or blunt; 535– 807 (161.3)– 1110/8– 11.5 (1.5)–14 µm (Figs. 12D–E). Acanthoxeas are slightly curved to sinuous; some are double bent, covered irregularly with minute spines, sometimes smoother at the middle region (Figs. 12F–G). With sharp and acerate tips; 235– 362 (48.9)–420/7.2– 10.7 (2)–14 µm. Microscleres: raphides very thin; 120– 150.3 (20.7)–180 µm in length. Distribution. Mexico (current records), US (Florida), Barbados, Bahamas, Cuba, other countries in the Caribbean Sea (Diaz et al. 1993); Guyana (van Soest 2017). Remarks. Van Soest (2017) believed the observed variability in Guyana’s specimens obtained from the same trawl (98 m and 65 m depth) was intraspecific. He observed variation in the habit (i.e., broad knoll, club-shaped body or finger-shaped body) and spiculation (i.e., the shape of oxeas and number of categories of oxeas and raphides). We extend this intraspecific variation of M. rea by considering specimens from Belize (Rützler et al. 2014) and the GoM (present study), both no deeper than 20 m. These specimens have massive cushion shape habits. In adition, spicule measurements of the Mexican specimens analyzed in our study (particularly of oxeas) are thinner than those in specimens from Belize and Guyana. However, in general, our material’s spicule measurements are more similar to specimens from Belize than the ones from Guyana (Table 1). Intraspecific variation of Myrmekioderma rea can be observed in Brazilian specimens too (Rosa-Barbosa 1995, Mothes et al. 2004, 2006). They were all reported with a massive habit, similar to our material’s and Belize’s (Rützler et al. 2014), but devoid of raphides in northern Brazil (Mothes et al. 2004), and possessing styles (744.2– 1497/10–23.9 µm) and small trichodragmas (23–92/4.6–13 µm) in materials reported by Mothes et al. (2006), from southern Brazil. These variations deviate from typical spiculation of M. rea in specimens from Guyana, the Caribbean region, and the GoM (our material) (Table 1). Previous and the present records of M. rea are from shallow to mesophotic depths on coral reefs (de Laubenfels 1953; van Soest & Stentoft 1988; Díaz et al. 1993; Rützler et al. 2014), and from muddy sand bottoms down to 100 m depth (van Soest 2017). Order Biemnida Morrow, 2013

Haliclona (Reniera) chlorilla Bispo, Correia & Hajdu, 2016 Tables 6, 7; Figs. 27A–C, 36K Synonymy and references: Haliclona (Reniera) chlorilla Bispo et al. (2016: 237). De la Cruz-Francisco & González-González (2016: 55). Type locality. Marechal Deodoro, AL, Brazil. Material examined. CNPGG-2192, Cayo Arcas reef (20.20512°N, - 91.96305°W), 0.5 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 19 August 2018, CNPGG-2477, Yucalpeten lagoon (21.2630°N, 89.7062°W), 0.5 m depth, coll. Patricia Gómez, 17 July 2017. Distribution. Mexico (De la Cruz-Francisco & Gónzalez-Gónzalez 2016; current records), Brazil (Bispo et al. 2016). Remarks. Haliclona (R.) chlorilla is a shallow species inhabiting tyde pools, seagrasses or macroalgae and it is characterized by a repent morphology of delicate branches in dark green or black live color, and absence of any microscleres (Bispo et al. 2016). Haliclona (R.) chlorilla has been described for the Northeast of Brazil (Bispo et al. 2016). Recently, De la Cruz-Francisco & González-González (2016) recorded the species at the Lobos-Tuxpan reef system in the SGoM, extending the distribution of the species. Our record further extends the distribution of Haliclona (R.) chlorilla to the Campeche Bank in the SGoM., Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on pages 35-36, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Bispo, A., Correia, M. D. & Hajdu, E. (2016) Two new shallow-water species of Haliclona from north-eastern Brazil (Demospongiae: Haplosclerida: Chalinidae). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 96, 237 - 249. https: // doi. org / 10.1017 / s 0025315414000344","De la Cruz-Francisco, V. & Gonzalez-Gonzalez, M. (2016) Nuevos Registros de esponjas para el sistema Arrecifal Lobos Tuxpan, con ampliaciones de ambito de distribucion para el Golfo de Mexico. Boletin del Instituto de Oceanografia de Venezuela, 55, 51 - 59."]}

Family Clionaidae d’Orbigny, 1851 Genus Cliona Grant, 1826, Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on page 22, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Grant, R. E. (1826) Notice of a New Zoophyte (Cliona celata Gr.) from the Firth of Forth. Edinburgh New Philosophical Journal, 1, 78 - 81."]}

Family Niphatidae van Soest, 1980 Genus Amphimedon Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864, Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on page 37, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["van Soest, R. W. M. (1980) Marine sponges from Curacao and other Caribbean localities. Part II. Haplosclerida. In: Hummelinck, P. W. & Van der Steen, L. J. (Eds.), Uitgaven van de Natuurwetenschappelijke Studiekring voor Suriname en de Nederlandse Antillen: No. 104. Studies on the Fauna of Curacao and other Caribbean Islands, 62 (191), pp. 1 - 173.","Duchassaing, F. P. & Michelotti, G. (1864) Spongiaires de la mer Caraibe. Natuurkundige verhandelingen van de Hollandsche maatschappij der wetenschappen te Haarlem, 21, 1 - 124."]}

Tectitethya crypta (de Laubenfels, 1949) Tables 6, 7; Figs. 63A–E, 70G Synonymy and references: Cryptothethya crypta de Laubenfels (1949: 20), and Sàra & Bavestrello (1996: 383); Tethya crypta, and Tectitethya crypta: see references complided in Sàra & Bavestrello (1996: 383); Cryptotheca crypta: Lerner et al. (1998: 1). Type locality. The Bahamas. Material examined. CNPGG-2176, Cayo Arcas reef (20.19963°N, 91.96680°W), 7.6 m depth, Diana Ugalde, 25 April 2018; CNPGG-2207, Cayo Arcas reef (20.20183°N, 91.97583°W), 6.9 m depth, Diana Ugalde, 20 August 2018. Description. Massive to lobate habit (Fig. 70G); the overall size is 15 × 10 × 8 cm. The surface is irregular and covered by sand. The sand is also scattered inside the body. The oscules are scattered 1–2 cm in diameter, and have a delicate membrane. Black color in vivo and also in ethanol. The consistency is firm but slightly compressible. Skeleton. Ascending tracts or bundles of spicules radially arranged, protruding outside the surface, the bundles incorporate foreign detritus (Fig. 63A). Spicules. Megascleres:Anisostrongyles to strongyles, straight, fusiform, and smooth (Fig. 63B–C); 792– 1098.8 (272.8)–1671.5/8.3– 13.8 (5.1)–21.3 µm. Microscleres: Megasters– oxyspherasters– smooth, with simple or bifid ray (Figs. 63D–E); 37.6– 49.4 (7.2)–58 µm in diameter. Micrasters–strongylasters–microspined (Figs. 63D–E); 8.7– 11.7 (2.8)–15.8 µm in diameter. Distribution. Mexico (Maas-Vargas 2004; current records), Bahamas, US (Florida) (de Laubenfels 1949a; Wiedenmayer 1977), Cuba, Greater Antilles (Sarà & Bavestrello 1996). Remarks. There are four valid species of Tectitethya in the TNwA: T. keyensis Sará & Bavestrello 1996 and T. macrostella Sará & Bavestrello 1996 from Florida; T. raphyroides Sará & Bavestrello 1996 from the Cayman Islands; and T. crypta (de Laubenfels 1949) widely distributed in the TNwA (Alcolado 1976; Wiedenmayer 1977; Pulitzer-Finali 1986; Sarà & Bavestrello 1996; Maas-Vargas 2004). The latter species is here reported for the SGoM. The detailed description of T. crypta in Sará & Bavestrello (1996) may be considered as the most reliable description of the species because it was built by the examination of type material and comparisons to other Tectitethya species. Sará & Bavestrello (1996) pointed out the mixture of external aspects of T. keyensis and T. crypta in Wiedenmayer’s redescription, but the spicules refer to T. crypta. The present material coincides with T. crypta in overall traits, except for slight differences in spicule measurements: the anisostrongyles of the original description are congruent with ours (about 20 µm thick in de Laubenfels 1949), but thicker (10–40 µm) in Sará & Bavestrello (1996). The megasters—oxyspherasters are slightly larger in our material (37.6–49.4 µm) than those reported by de Laubenfels and Sará & Bavestrello (10–40 µm). The remaining features are similar to T. crypta., Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on pages 69-70, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Sara, M. & Bavestrello, G. (1996) West Indies genera Columnitis, Tectitethya and Nucleotethya new genus with description of new species (Porifera, Tethyidae). Bullentin of Marine Science, 59, 370 - 392.","Lerner, C. B., Schapoval, E., Mothes, B., Henriques, A. T., Schwartsmann, G. & Mans, D. R. A. (1998) Anticancer screening of south Brazilian marine sponges. Annals of Oncology, 9 (Supplemental 2), 35. [abstract]","Maas-Vargas, M. G. (2004) Inventario de las esponjas marinas (Porifera: Demospongiae) de la Coleccion de Referencia de bentos costeros de ECOSUR. Universidad y ciencia, 20, 23 - 28.","Laubenfels, M. W. de (1949 a) Sponges of the western Bahamas. American Museum Novitates, 1 - 25.","Wiedenmayer, F. (1977) Shallow-water sponge of the western Bahamas. Experientia Supplementum, 28, 1 - 287, pls. 1 - 43. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / 978 - 3 - 0348 - 5797 - 0","Alcolado, P. M. (1976) Lista de nuevos registros de poriferos para Cuba. Serie Oceanologica, Academia de Ciencias de Cuba, 36, 1 - 11.","Pulitzer-Finali, G. (1986) A collection of West Indian Demospongiae (Porifera). In appendix, a list of the Demospongiae hitherto recorded from the West Indies. Annali dei Museu civico di storia naturale Giacomo Doria, 86, 65 - 216."]}

Suberites aurantiacus (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) Tables 6, 7; Figs. 62A–B Synonymy and references: Terpios aurantiaca Duchassaing & Michelotti (1864: 99), and Muricy et al. (2011: 72); Laxosuberites zeteki de Laubenfels (1864: 99); Terpios zeteki Hechtel (1965: 59), and Rützler & Smith (1993: 390); Laxosuberites aurantiaca, Protosuberites aurantiaca, Protosuberites aurantiacus, Suberites aurantiaca: see references compiled in Muricy et al. (2011: 72); Suberites aurantiacus: Hajdu et al. (2011: 102), Muricy et al. (2011: 72), Pérez et al. (2017: 12), and van Soest (2017: 192). Type locality. Saint Thomas. Material examined. CNPGG –1985 Chelem Lagoon (21.2631°N, 89.7063), coll. Diana Ugalde, 1 m depth 28 July 2017. Description. Massive habit, overall sponge size 12 × 7 × 4 cm. The surface is smooth in parts and rugose in others. Oscules scattered on the surface, no visible when is preserved. Color green in vivo, beige when is preserved. The consistency is firm, slightly compressible. Skeleton. Choanosomal skeleton consists of confused spicules densely packed; the ectosomal skeleton is a palisade-like continuum of bouquets of smaller tylostyles. The tylostyles slightly protruded outside the surface. Visible channels close to the surface (Figs. 62 A). Spicules. Megascleres: Two categories of tylostyles: Tylostyles I (Fig. 62B 1), straight and fusiform 180– 268 (71)–375/3– 4.6 (1.1)–7 µm, with globose tyle 5– 7.5 (1.1)–8 µm thick, some tyles with mucron; tylostyles II (Fig.62B 2), similar in shape to the previous category, 435– 617 (85.9)–719/6– 9 (2.7)–12 µm, tyle 6– 11 (3.1)–14 µm thick. Distribution. Mexico (Castellanos-Peréz et al. 2020; current records), Bermuda (de Laubenfels, 1950), other countries in the Caribbean Sea (Muricy et al. 2011), Brazil (Fortunato et al. 2020). Remarks. Suberites aurantiacus is a polymorphic species found with encrusting to massive, or subspherical shape, and orange or green color in vivo (Fortunato et al. 2020). These variations in color, bluish and red tones are reported by Hechtel (1965), and are also present in the studied specimens (Ugalde personal observation). Also, the head of tylostyles may be wrinkled or deformed, or be very well formed tyles (not wrinkled), which might be a consequence of mangrove habitats in the first case, and rocky coastal habitats, in the second (Hechtel 1965 as Terpios zeteki, Rützler & Smith 1993). However, this feature should not be treated as a pattern since the studied material lives in the estuarine habitat of a coastal lagoon, and it has smooth tyles. Tylostyle dimensions also vary widely: I, 140–386.4 x 2.4–12.2 (shaft) x 3.1–12.2 µm (tyle), and II, 376.2–830 x 4.9–20.7 (shaft) x 5.2–18.3 µm (tyle), in Brazilian specimens reported by Fortunato et al. (2020; Table 2); and 140–877 x 3–18 µm (overall micrometries) reported from Jamaica specimens by Hechtel (1965, as Terpios zeteki). Suberites aurantiacus is originally recorded from Saint Thomas, Caribbean Sea, however, Rützler & Smith (1993) and Carballo et al. (2004) have examined diverse material of S. aurantiacus confirming its presence in the Pacific coast of both Panama and Mexico, respectively. Recently, Castellanos-Perez et al. (2020) have recorded this species in the Terminos Lagoon in mangrove roots, this being the first record of the species for the SGoM. Order Tethyida Morrow & Cárdenas, 2015, Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on pages 67-69, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Duchassaing, F. P. & Michelotti, G. (1864) Spongiaires de la mer Caraibe. Natuurkundige verhandelingen van de Hollandsche maatschappij der wetenschappen te Haarlem, 21, 1 - 124.","Muricy, G., Lopes, D. A., Hajdu, E., Carvalho, M. D. S., Moraes, F. C., Klautau, M., Menegola, C. & Pinheiro, U. (2011) Catalogue of Brazilian Porifera. Serie livros 46. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, 300 pp.","Hechtel, G. J. (1965) A systematic study of the Demospongiae of Port Royal, Jamaica. Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, 20, 1 - 103.","Rutzler, K. & Smith, K. P. (1993) The genus Terpios (Suberitidae) and new species in the \" Lobiceps \" complex. In: Uriz, M. J. & Rutzler, K. (Eds.), Recent Advances in Ecology and Systematics of Sponges. Scientia Marina, 57 (4), pp. 381 - 393.","Hajdu, E., Peixinho, S. & Fernandez, J. C. (2011) Esponjas marinhas da Bahia: guia de campo e laboratorio. Museu Nacional / UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 276 pp.","Perez, T., Diaz, M. C., Ruiz, C., Condor-Lujan, B., Klautau, M., Hajdu, E., Lobo-Hajdu, G., Zea, S., Pomponi, S. A., Thacker, R. W., Carteron, S., Tollu, G., Pouget-Cuvelier, A., Thelamon, P., Marechal, J. P., Thomas, O. P., Ereskovsky, A. V., Vacelet, J. & Boury-Esnault, N. (2017) How a collaborative integrated taxonomic effort has trained new spongiologists and improved knowledge of Martinique Island (French Antilles, eastern Caribbean Sea) marine biodiversity. PLoS ONE, 12, e 0173859. https: // doi. org / 10.1371 / journal. pone. 0173859","van Soest, R. W. M. (2017) Sponges of the Guyana Shelf. Zootaxa, 4217 (1), 1 - 225. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4217.1.1","Castellanos-Perez, P. D. E. J., Vazquez-Maldonado, L. E., Avila, E. & Cruz-Barraza, J. A. (2020) Diversity of mangrove rootdwelling sponges in a tropical coastal ecosystem in the Southern Gulf of Mexico region. Helgoland Marine Research, 74, 1 - 9. https: // doi. org / 10.1186 / s 10152 - 020 - 00545 - 6","Laubenfels, M. W. de (1950) The Porifera of the Bermuda Archipielago. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London, 27, 1 - 154. https: // doi. org / 10.1111 / j. 1096 - 3642.1950. tb 00227. x","Fortunato, H. F. M., Perez, T. & Lobo-Hajdu, G. (2020) Morphological description of six species of Suberitida (Porifera: Demospongiae) from the unexplored north-eastern coast of Brazil, with emphasis on two new species. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 100, 389 - 400. https: // doi. org / 10.1017 / S 0025315420000296"]}

Monanchora arbuscula (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) Tables 6, 7; Figs. 47A–F, 58B Synonymy and references: Pandaros arbusculum Duchassaing & Michelotti (1864: 88); Monanchora arbuscula: Gómez (2002: 79), Hajdu et al. (2011: 146), Muricy et al. (2011), Rützler et al. (2014: 64), Pérez et al. (2017: 11), van Soest (2017: 136), and Esteves et al. (2018: 463, in part); Echinostylinos unguiferus, Echinostylinos (?) unguiferus, Monanchora barbadensis [in part], Monanchora unguifera, Monanchora sp. 1, Monanchora sp. 2, Mycale sp., Pandaros arbusculum, Prosuberites scarlatum and Ptilocaulis aff. spiculifer, see references compiled in Esteves et al. (2018: 463). Type locality. St. Thomas (US Virgin Islands). Material examined. CNPGG-1815, Alacranes reef (22.3883°N, - 89.7024°W), 12 m depth, coll. Patricia Gómez, 05 August 2012; CNPGG-1822, Sisal reef (21.43977°N, 90.2866°W), 10 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 22 June 2016; CNPGG-2006, Cayo Nuevo reef (21.8278°N, 92.0773°W), 15 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 18 June 2016; CNPGG-2204, Cayo Arcas reef (20.20183°N, 91.97583°W), 6.4 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 20 August 2018; CNPGG-2271, Triangulos Este reef (20.89765°N, 92.24218°W), 12 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 11 September 2017; CNPGG-2418, Isla Verde reef (19.19844°N, 96.19844°W), 3.8 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 28 August 2018. Distribution. Mexico (Gómez 2007; current records), Guyana (van Soest 2017), US (Florida), other Caribbean Sea countries, Brazil (Esteves et al. 2018). Remarks. Monanchora arbuscula has been reported in the southern (Gómez 2002, 2007) and northern sector of the GoM (de Laubenfels 1953). Here, recorded again from the southern sector. Monanchora arbuscula has been considered a species complex by Esteves et al. (2018), who proposed three new species from materials then considered to belong in M. arbuscula, viz. M. coccinea Esteves et al, 2018, M. bahamensis Esteves et al, 2018 and M. megasigmifera Esteves et al, 2018. The authors mention that M. arbuscula has a considerable morphological variability, and sometimes the microscleres can be lacking. Our material is represented by specimens with a thin encrusting habit, and microscleres are present (viz., sigmoid chelae and unguiferate anchorate isochelae), except acanthomicrorhabds, but according to Esteves et al. (2018) the occurrence of acanthomicrorhabds is rare., Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on page 53, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Duchassaing, F. P. & Michelotti, G. (1864) Spongiaires de la mer Caraibe. Natuurkundige verhandelingen van de Hollandsche maatschappij der wetenschappen te Haarlem, 21, 1 - 124.","Gomez, P. (2002) Esponjas marinas del Golfo de Mexico y el Caribe. AGT Editors S. A, Mexico, D. F., 134 pp.","Hajdu, E., Peixinho, S. & Fernandez, J. C. (2011) Esponjas marinhas da Bahia: guia de campo e laboratorio. Museu Nacional / UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 276 pp.","Muricy, G., Lopes, D. A., Hajdu, E., Carvalho, M. D. S., Moraes, F. C., Klautau, M., Menegola, C. & Pinheiro, U. (2011) Catalogue of Brazilian Porifera. Serie livros 46. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, 300 pp.","Rutzler, K., Piantoni, C., Van Soest, R. W. M. & Diaz, M. C. (2014) Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay. Zootaxa, 3805 (1), 1 - 129. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3805.1.1","Perez, T., Diaz, M. C., Ruiz, C., Condor-Lujan, B., Klautau, M., Hajdu, E., Lobo-Hajdu, G., Zea, S., Pomponi, S. A., Thacker, R. W., Carteron, S., Tollu, G., Pouget-Cuvelier, A., Thelamon, P., Marechal, J. P., Thomas, O. P., Ereskovsky, A. V., Vacelet, J. & Boury-Esnault, N. (2017) How a collaborative integrated taxonomic effort has trained new spongiologists and improved knowledge of Martinique Island (French Antilles, eastern Caribbean Sea) marine biodiversity. PLoS ONE, 12, e 0173859. https: // doi. org / 10.1371 / journal. pone. 0173859","van Soest, R. W. M. (2017) Sponges of the Guyana Shelf. Zootaxa, 4217 (1), 1 - 225. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4217.1.1","Esteves, E. L., Paula, T. S. D., Lerner, C., Lobo-Hajdu, G. & Hajdu, E. (2018) Morphological and molecular systematics of the \" Monanchora arbuscula complex \" (Poecilosclerida: Crambeidae), with the description of five new species and a biogeo- graphic discussion of the genus in the Tropical Western Atlantic. Invertebrate Systematics, 32, 457 - 503. https: // doi. org / 10.1071 / IS 16088","Gomez, P. (2007) Inventario de las esponjas del Parque Nacional Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano, con nuevos Registros de Especies (Porifera: Demospongiae). In: Jimenez-Hernandez, M. J.; Granados-Barba, A. & Ortiz-Lozano, L. (Eds.), Investigaciones Cientificas en el Sistema Arrecifal Veracruzano. Universidad Autonoma de Campeche, Campeche, pp. 51 - 72.","Laubenfels, M. W. de (1953) Sponges from the Gulf of Mexico. Bullentin of Marine Science of the Gulf and Caribbean, 2, 511 - 557."]}

Family Dysideidae Gray, 1867 Genus Dysidea Johnston, 1842, Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on page 82, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Johnston, G. (1842) A History of British Sponges and Lithophytes. W. H. Lizars, Edinburgh, 264 pp. Available from: https: // biodiversitylibrary. org / page / 35290582 (accessed 2 August 2021) https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 51495"]}

Haliclona (Reniera) chlorilla Bispo, Correia & Hajdu, 2016 Tables 6, 7; Figs. 27A–C, 36K Synonymy and references: Haliclona (Reniera) chlorilla Bispo et al. (2016: 237). De la Cruz-Francisco & González-González (2016: 55). Type locality. Marechal Deodoro, AL, Brazil. Material examined. CNPGG-2192, Cayo Arcas reef (20.20512°N, - 91.96305°W), 0.5 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 19 August 2018, CNPGG-2477, Yucalpeten lagoon (21.2630°N, 89.7062°W), 0.5 m depth, coll. Patricia Gómez, 17 July 2017. Distribution. Mexico (De la Cruz-Francisco & Gónzalez-Gónzalez 2016; current records), Brazil (Bispo et al. 2016). Remarks. Haliclona (R.) chlorilla is a shallow species inhabiting tyde pools, seagrasses or macroalgae and it is characterized by a repent morphology of delicate branches in dark green or black live color, and absence of any microscleres (Bispo et al. 2016). Haliclona (R.) chlorilla has been described for the Northeast of Brazil (Bispo et al. 2016). Recently, De la Cruz-Francisco & González-González (2016) recorded the species at the Lobos-Tuxpan reef system in the SGoM, extending the distribution of the species. Our record further extends the distribution of Haliclona (R.) chlorilla to the Campeche Bank in the SGoM.

Calyx podatypa (de Laubenfels, 1934) Tables 6, 7; Figs. 39A–D Synonymy and references: Haliclona podatypa de Laubenfels (1934: 23); Calyx podatypa: Rützler et al. (2014: 86), Pérez et al. (2017: 10), and van Soest. (2017: 41); Haliclona podatypa,? Calyx podatypa, Calyx cf. podatypa and? Pachypellina podatypa, see references compiled in van Soest. (2017: 41). Type locality. Puerto Rico. Material examined. CNPGG-2246, Triangulo Oeste reef (20.951783°N, 92.309633°W), 23 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 09 September 2017. Description. Encrusting habit and cushion shaped, cavernous interior, the massive part is similar to an hourglass figure; measures 3 × 2.3 cm at the base by up to 0.8 cm thick at the middle region. Size of encrusting part, 7 × 3.4 × 1 cm. The surface is smooth without visible pores. Oscules (1–5 mm) scattered or slightly aligned, flush to the surface, or slightly elevated. Color in vivo not recorded, whitish beige in ethanol. The consistency is firm but slightly friable. Skeleton. The ectosomal region is denser than the choanosomal and formed by compacted spicules pointing in all directions, with aligned and rounded subdermal channels, up to 100 µm in diameter (Fig. 39B). The choanosomal skeleton is an ill-defined subisodictyal reticulation of spicules interconnected with paucispicular tracts, pierced by large and round channels which are scattered in the choanosomal region, up to 300 µm in diameter (Fig. 39 A, C). Spicules. Megascleres: Oxeas slightly curved and smooth, in a large size range (Fig. 39 D). Tips sharp, acerate to telescopic; 130– 154.3 (12.3)–170/3.5– 6.3 (1.5)–8 µm. Distribution. Mexico (current record), Bahamas (Wiedenmayer 1977), other countries in the Caribbean Sea and Guyana (van Soest 2017). Remarks. This study presents the first record of Calyx podatypa for the GoM. The van Soest (2017) study quotes a discrepancy in some specimens reported for C. podatypa, leading him to re-examine the holotype. He found uniformity in the oxeas, with the shape curved and thin: 117– 133 –144/2.5– 3.8 –5 µm. Our material has a similar shape but slightly larger and thicker oxeas 130– 154.3 (12.3)–170/3.5– 6.3 (1.5)–8 µm. All other characteristics fit well; indeed, it has a cavernous choanosome, as Wiedenmayer (1977) described it. Genus Siphonodictyon Bergquist, 1965, Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on pages 45-46, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Laubenfels, M. W. de (1934) New sponges from the Puerto Rican deep. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, 91, 1 - 28.","Rutzler, K., Piantoni, C., Van Soest, R. W. M. & Diaz, M. C. (2014) Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay. Zootaxa, 3805 (1), 1 - 129. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3805.1.1","Perez, T., Diaz, M. C., Ruiz, C., Condor-Lujan, B., Klautau, M., Hajdu, E., Lobo-Hajdu, G., Zea, S., Pomponi, S. A., Thacker, R. W., Carteron, S., Tollu, G., Pouget-Cuvelier, A., Thelamon, P., Marechal, J. P., Thomas, O. P., Ereskovsky, A. V., Vacelet, J. & Boury-Esnault, N. (2017) How a collaborative integrated taxonomic effort has trained new spongiologists and improved knowledge of Martinique Island (French Antilles, eastern Caribbean Sea) marine biodiversity. PLoS ONE, 12, e 0173859. https: // doi. org / 10.1371 / journal. pone. 0173859","Wiedenmayer, F. (1977) Shallow-water sponge of the western Bahamas. Experientia Supplementum, 28, 1 - 287, pls. 1 - 43. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / 978 - 3 - 0348 - 5797 - 0","van Soest, R. W. M. (2017) Sponges of the Guyana Shelf. Zootaxa, 4217 (1), 1 - 225. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4217.1.1"]}

Petrosia (Petrosia) weinbergi van Soest, 1980 Tables 6, 7; Figs. 35A–D, 45D Synonymy and references: Petrosia weinbergi van Soest (1980: 75), Hajdu et al. (2011: 196) and Muricy et al. (2011: 107); Petrosia sp., see references compiled in Muricy et al. (2011: 107); Petrosia (Petrosia) weinbergi, Muricy et al. (2011: 107), Rützler (2014: 90) and van Soest (2017: 37). Type locality. Curaçao. Material examined. CNPGG-2203, Cayo Arcas reef (20.19491°N, - 91.95741°W), 5.1 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 20 August 2018; CNPGG-2249, Triangulo Oeste reef (20.85178°N, - 92.30963°W), 23 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 09 September 2017; CNPGG-2392, Hornos reef (19.19083°N, - 96.11777°W), 2.7 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 27 August 2018; CNPGG-2434, Cabezo reef (19.05086°N, - 95.82388°W), 8.3 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 30 August 2018; CNPGG-2448, Isla Verde reef (19.20588°N, - 96.07305°W), 7.2 m depth, coll. Diana Ugalde, 31 August 2018. Distribution. Mexico (Maas-Vargas 2004; Gómez 2011; current records), Cuba, other countries in the Caribbean Sea, Guyana, to Brazil (van Soest 2017). Remarks. Our study presents the second record of P. (P.) weinbergi for the GoM, following Gómez (2011). This species is not present in recent studies on sponges from the region. Our specimens match in all their characteristics the description by van Soest (1980). Genus Xestospongia de Laubenfels, 1932, Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on pages 42-44, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["van Soest, R. W. M. (1980) Marine sponges from Curacao and other Caribbean localities. Part II. Haplosclerida. In: Hummelinck, P. W. & Van der Steen, L. J. (Eds.), Uitgaven van de Natuurwetenschappelijke Studiekring voor Suriname en de Nederlandse Antillen: No. 104. Studies on the Fauna of Curacao and other Caribbean Islands, 62 (191), pp. 1 - 173.","Hajdu, E., Peixinho, S. & Fernandez, J. C. (2011) Esponjas marinhas da Bahia: guia de campo e laboratorio. Museu Nacional / UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 276 pp.","Muricy, G., Lopes, D. A., Hajdu, E., Carvalho, M. D. S., Moraes, F. C., Klautau, M., Menegola, C. & Pinheiro, U. (2011) Catalogue of Brazilian Porifera. Serie livros 46. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, 300 pp.","Rutzler, K., Piantoni, C., Van Soest, R. W. M. & Diaz, M. C. (2014) Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay. Zootaxa, 3805 (1), 1 - 129. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3805.1.1","van Soest, R. W. M. (2017) Sponges of the Guyana Shelf. Zootaxa, 4217 (1), 1 - 225. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4217.1.1","Maas-Vargas, M. G. (2004) Inventario de las esponjas marinas (Porifera: Demospongiae) de la Coleccion de Referencia de bentos costeros de ECOSUR. Universidad y ciencia, 20, 23 - 28.","Gomez, P. (2011) Esponjas marinas y de agua dulce. In: Cruz, A. (Ed.), La biodiversidad en Veracruz: Estudio de Estado. Vol II. Comision Nacional para el Conocimiento y uso de la Biodiversidad (CONABIO), Gobierno del Estado de Veracruz, Universidad Veracruzana, Instituto de Ecologia, Veracruz, pp. 217 - 224.","Duchassaing, F. P. & Michelotti, G. (1864) Spongiaires de la mer Caraibe. Natuurkundige verhandelingen van de Hollandsche maatschappij der wetenschappen te Haarlem, 21, 1 - 124.","Rutzler, K. (1974) The Burrowing Sponges of Bermuda. Smithsonian Contributions to Zoology, 165, 32. https: // doi. org / 10.5479 / si. 00810282.165","Verrill, A. E. (1907) The Bermuda Islands: Part V. An account of the Coral Reefs (Characteristic Life of the Bermuda Coral Reefs). Porifera: Sponges. Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, 12, 330 - 344. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. part. 28921","Hechtel, G. J. (1969) New species and records of shallow-water Demospongiae from Barbados, West Indies. Postilla, 132, 1 - 38. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. part. 12977","Bispo, A., Correia, M. D. & Hajdu, E. (2016) Two new shallow-water species of Haliclona from north-eastern Brazil (Demospongiae: Haplosclerida: Chalinidae). Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 96, 237 - 249. https: // doi. org / 10.1017 / s 0025315414000344","Hechtel, G. J. (1965) A systematic study of the Demospongiae of Port Royal, Jamaica. Bulletin of the Peabody Museum of Natural History, 20, 1 - 103.","Laubenfels, M. W. de (1932) Physiology and morphology of Porifera exemplified by Iotrochota birotulata Higgin. Carnegie Institution of Washington Publications, 435, 37 - 66."]}

Aplysina insularis (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) Tables 6, 7; Figs. 83A–B, 88H Synonymy and references: Luffaria insularis Duchassaing & Michelotti (1864: 61), and Muricy et al. (2011: 176); Aplysina fistularis f. fistularis: see references compiled in Pinheiro et al. (2007: 21), and Muricy et al. (2011: 176); Aplysina fistularis insularis: Green et al. (1986: 140), Aplysina insulares (misspelling), see references compiled in Muricy et al. (2011: 176); Aplysina insularis: Pinheiro et al. (2007: 21), Hajdu et al. (2011: 233), Muricy et al. (2011: 176) Rützler et al. (2009: 307), Pérez et al. (2017: 9), and Van Soest (2017: 209). Type locality. St. Thomas. Material examined. CNPGG-2255, Triangulo Oeste reef (20.95178°N, 92.30963°W), 23 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 09 September 2017; CNPGG-2268, Triangulo Oeste reef (20.96073°N, 92.30751°W), 19 m depth, coll. Oscar Bocardo, 10 September 2017. Distribution. Mexico (Green et al. 1986 as A. fistularis insularis, De la Cruz-Francisco & Bandala-Pérez 2016, current records), Bermuda, Bahamas, US (Florida), other countries in the Caribbean Sea, Brazil (Pinheiro et al. 2007). Remarks. Our specimens conform in all aspects to Aplysina insularis. The species with the closest morphology to Aplysina insularis is Aplysina muricyana Pinheiro, Hajdu & Custódio, 2007 from das Rocas atoll (off northeastern Brazil). Both consist of groups of short and anastomosed tubes with apical oscules up to 1 cm in diameter, and soft consistency. However, they differ in the contour of the tube, lobate, often widening toward their apices (somewhat infundibuliform) with fairly smooth surface in A. insularis, and tubes with a polygonal contour bearing edges extending longitudinally in A. muricyana. Color when alive, golden yellow or brown in A. insularis, turning black after preservation in ethanol. Beige in A. muricyana, but green, brown-beige and red tinges are also common, turning from beige to brown when preserved in ethanol., Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, Fernandez, Julio C. C., Gómez, Patricia, Lôbo-Hajdu, Gisele & Simões, Nuno, 2021, An update on the diversity of marine sponges in the southern Gulf of Mexico coral reefs, pp. 1-112 in Zootaxa 5031 (1) on page 90, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5031.1.1, http://zenodo.org/record/5454380, {"references":["Duchassaing, F. P. & Michelotti, G. (1864) Spongiaires de la mer Caraibe. Natuurkundige verhandelingen van de Hollandsche maatschappij der wetenschappen te Haarlem, 21, 1 - 124.","Muricy, G., Lopes, D. A., Hajdu, E., Carvalho, M. D. S., Moraes, F. C., Klautau, M., Menegola, C. & Pinheiro, U. (2011) Catalogue of Brazilian Porifera. Serie livros 46. Museu Nacional, Rio de Janeiro, 300 pp.","Pinheiro, U. S., Hajdu, E. & Custodio, M. R. (2007) Aplysina Nardo (Porifera, Verongida, Aplysinidae) from the Brazilian coast with description of eight new species. Zootaxa, 1609 (1), 1 - 51. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 1610.1. zootaxa. 1609.1.1","Green, G., Fuentes, V. L. & Gomez, P. (1986) Nuevos registros de Porifera del arrecife la Blanquilla, Veracruz Mexico. Anales del Centro de Ciencias del Mar y Limnologia, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, 27, 9 - 11.","Hajdu, E., Peixinho, S. & Fernandez, J. C. (2011) Esponjas marinhas da Bahia: guia de campo e laboratorio. Museu Nacional / UFRJ, Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, 276 pp.","Rutzler, K., Soest, R. W. M. Van & Piantoni, C. (2009) Sponges (Porifera) of the Gulf of Mexico. In: Felder, D. L. & Camp, D. K. (Eds.), Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota. Texas A & M Press, College Station, Texas, pp. 285 - 313.","Perez, T., Diaz, M. C., Ruiz, C., Condor-Lujan, B., Klautau, M., Hajdu, E., Lobo-Hajdu, G., Zea, S., Pomponi, S. A., Thacker, R. W., Carteron, S., Tollu, G., Pouget-Cuvelier, A., Thelamon, P., Marechal, J. P., Thomas, O. P., Ereskovsky, A. V., Vacelet, J. & Boury-Esnault, N. (2017) How a collaborative integrated taxonomic effort has trained new spongiologists and improved knowledge of Martinique Island (French Antilles, eastern Caribbean Sea) marine biodiversity. PLoS ONE, 12, e 0173859. https: // doi. org / 10.1371 / journal. pone. 0173859","van Soest, R. W. M. (2017) Sponges of the Guyana Shelf. Zootaxa, 4217 (1), 1 - 225. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4217.1.1","De la Cruz-Francisco, V. & Bandala-Perez, A. E. (2016) Esponjas y Cnidarios (Hydrozoa y Anthozoa) del arrecife Oro Verde; cobertura bentonica y afinidad faunistica con sistemas arrecifales de Veracruz, Mexico. Occeanides, 31, 45 - 64. https: // doi. org / 10.37543 / oceanides. v 31 i 2.185"]}

Spirastrella aff. mollis Verrill, 1907 (Fig. 7 A���F) Selected synonymy: Spirastrella aff. mollis Verrill, 1907: 344. Material examined. CNPGG ��� 584 Sisal Banks reefs (21 �� 26 ' 28.2 ���N, 90 �� 17 ' 34 ���W), depth 15 m, 02/XII/ 2001. Description. Thinly encrusting sponge 0.5���2 mm thickness, adhered to bryozoan and pieces of coral (Fig. 7 A) making a cavernous whole mass 4.3 cm long and 2.6 cm in width. The surface is smooth as well as microhispid on mounds in all around the mass, velvety in appearance but harsh when touched, becoming strongly hispid underneath the coral rubble or in hidden fissures or holes, no oscules nor pores visible to the naked eye in preserved specimens. The consistency is difficult to know owing to the thinness of the sponge, but the sponge is not easily compressible due to the many small conch fragments within the flesh. Color alive not recorded, unfortunately, no photograph in situ was taken, and color in alcohol is beige. Skeleton. The ectosome has a thin cortex 200 ��m thick that consists mainly of spirasters and tips of tylostyles protruding up to 140 ��m beyond the surface. The narrow area of the choanosome is formed by a palisade of tylostyles tufts with the tips directed upwards, below which, spirasters are abundant everywhere (Fig. 7 B). Small and round channels were seen below the cortex. Spicules. Macroscleres are straight and slightly curved tylostyles with fusiform tips 260���624 �� 7.8���14 ��m, mainly with a round head but oval-shaped are also present 12���15 ��m in diameter (Fig. 7 C), few ones with annular swelling bellow the neck. Microscleres are spirasters approaching amphiasters in two size categories (Fig. 7 D): size I is 20.8���57 ��m long (Fig 7 F), it bends once to twice but it is difficult to discern, its rays are conical up to 20 ��m long with broad bases from about 5.2 ��m; size II is 5.4���26 ��m long (Fig. 7 E), it shows a slender shaft in one to three bends sometimes straight, with smaller conical rays (sizes including spines). Distribution and ecology. Bermuda Island, intertidal to 0.5 m (Verrill 1907), Carrie Bow Cay, Belize (R��tzler et al. 2014), now in Yucatan, M��xico coral reefs from the present work. Hence, first record of the species for the Gulf of Mexico. Remarks. There is some controversy around Spirastrella mollis due to a brief original description, lack of spicular measurements and loss of the type-specimen (Boury-Esnault et al. 1999). The spirasters of S. mollis, and also in S. coccinea in the plates of R��tzler et al. (2014), are quite different from the present specimen, suggesting existence of three different species, S. coccinea, S. mollis, and S. hartmani. The latter, corresponds to the furcate and plurifid spirasters (Boury-Esnault et al. 1999), not in synonymy with S. mollis. Four species of Spirastrella have been recorded in the Gulf of Mexico and adjacent waters, so far. These are Spirastrella coccinea (Duchassaing & Michelotti 1864), S. coccinopsis de Laubenfels, 1953, S. hartmani Boury- Esnault et al. 1999, and S. mollis. The task to tell them apart to correctly identify the species is intricate due to the shared and overlapping traits. For example, the spicule geometry and skeletal arrangement are very similar among all four species. They all have similar sizes, and very little data available other than the original descriptions. In an attempt to delimit differences within some Spirastrella species, a comparison was made from the present material and three spirastrellas sheltered in the CNPGG, which are different indeed (see Table 1). Catalog Color Surface type Consistency Growth shape Tylostyle Spirasters number, Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, G��mez, Patricia & Sim��es, Nuno, 2015, Marine sponges (Porifera: Demospongiae) from the Gulf of M��xico, new records and redescription of Erylus trisphaerus (de Laubenfels, 1953), pp. 151-183 in Zootaxa 3911 (2) on pages 159-160, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3911.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/238815, {"references":["Verrill, A. E. (1907) The Bermuda Islands: Part V. An account of Coral Reefs. Porifera: Sponges. Transactions of the Connecticut Academy of Arts and Sciences, 12, 330 - 344.","Rutzler, K., Piatoni, C., Soest van, R. W. M. & Diaz, M. C. (2014) Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay. Zootaxa, 3805, 1 - 129. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3805.1.1","Boury-Esnault, N., Klatau, M., Bezac, C., Wulff, J. & Sole-Cava, A. M. (1999) Comparative study of putative conspecific sponge populations from both sides of the Isthmus of Panama. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom, 79, 39 - 50. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.1017 / S 0025315498000046","Duchassaing, F. P. & Michelotti, G. (1864) Spongiaires de la mer Caraibe. Natuurkundige verhandelingen van de Hollandsche maatschappij der wetenschappen te Haarlem, 21, 1 - 24.","Laubenfels, M. W. de (1953) Sponges from the Gulf of Mexico. Bulletin of Marine Science Gulf and Caribbean, 2, 511 - 557."]}

Topsentia bahamensis Diaz, van Soest & Pomponi, 1993 (Fig. 12 A���C) Synonymy: Topsentia bahamensis Diaz, van Soest & Pomponi, 1993: 290. Material examined. CNPGG ��� 586 Sisal Banks reefs (21 �� 26 ' 21.50 ���N 90 �� 17 ' 7.9 ���W), depth 15 m 02/XII/ 2011. Description. Encrusting to massive sponge (3.5 �� 2.5 cm long per width, 2.5 cm thick) with one solid fistular growth on top 4 cm in height, 10 mm in diameter (Fig. 12 A). An oscule along the fistula is visible, that splits at the base. Color is white when alive and in alcohol; surface is smooth although micro-hispid at places, consistency is firmly compressible but easily crumbled. Skeleton. The ectosome is a layer of tangentially placed oxeas strewn in confusion, with many of the larger oxeas protruding beyond the surface. The choanosomal skeleton exhibits a vague reticulation in all directions, produced by ill-defined multispicular tracts with no trace of spongin, intermingled with single oxeas, also oriented in all directions, assembling a condensed mass (Fig. 12 B). Spicules. Fusiform and slightly curved oxeas (Fig. 12 C), in two size categories I: 196���507 �� 5.2���14 ��m, II: 556���820 �� 13.5���28 ��m. Distribution and ecology. Bahamas (D��az et al. 1993). The present specimen was found inhabiting shallower waters (15 m depth) than those of the original description, which stated 40 to 160 m. It is the first record for M��xico and the Gulf of Mexico. Remarks. The present material matches the original description exactly, even for spicule sizes. Apparently it is not a common species around the Caribbean Sea. It probably inhabits Jamaica (Lehnert & Soest 1996), but the specimen recorded there, lacks fistular growth, which is one of the main features of T. bahamensis. A species similar to the present one is the widespread T. ophiraphidites (de Laubenfels de 1934), but it differs in lacking an ectosomal tangential skeleton, together with a gray, brown or pink color alive and the presence of two or three category sizes of oxeas and strongyloxeas. These traits separate both species., Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, G��mez, Patricia & Sim��es, Nuno, 2015, Marine sponges (Porifera: Demospongiae) from the Gulf of M��xico, new records and redescription of Erylus trisphaerus (de Laubenfels, 1953), pp. 151-183 in Zootaxa 3911 (2) on pages 166-167, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3911.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/238815, {"references":["Diaz, M. C., Pomponi, S. & Soest, R. W. M. van (1993) A systematic revision of the central West Atlantic Halichondrida (Demospongiae, Porifera). Part III: Description of the valid species. Scientia Marina, 57, 283 - 306.","Lehnert, H. & Soest, R. W. M. van (1996) North Jamaican deep fore-reef sponges. Beufortia, 46, 53 - 81."]}

Erylus trisphaerus (de Laubenfels 1953) (Figs. 3 A���F, 4 A���E) Selected synonymy: Unimia trisphaerus de Laubenfels, 1953: 546; Alcolado 1976: 7 (only cited). Material examined. CNPGG ��� 1183, CNPGG ��� 1304, and CNPGG ��� 1312 Alacranes reef (22 �� 21 ' 55.99 ���N, 89 �� 40 ' 20.79 ���W), depth 30 m 6 /VIII/ 2013. Description. Massive sponge with well-defined lobes, each provided with an apical oscule 3���5 mm in diameter (Fig. 3 A). The sponge measures 3.5���8 cm in height and 3���5 cm in width, the lobes 2���3.5 cm in diameter. The surface is smooth, but when taken out of water it wrinkles as the sponge shrinks, and shows irregularly distributed ostia, 80���110 ��m in diameter and slightly sunken in. Oscules on top of the lobes and some lateral ones are less than 1 mm in diameter, the latter type was surrounded by lighter color. Consistency is firmly compressible but easily frail. The color in vivo is dark brown with scattered beige tinges, in alcohol it is blackish brown on top and beige at the base. Skeleton. The cortex consist of one layer, ca. 500 ��m thick, of microxeas tangentially disposed, and below which another layer of aspidasters assembles. The choanosomal skeleton has a radial arrangement towards the surface formed by spicular tracts of oxeas and orthotriaenes going upward (Fig. 3 B), and a confused arrangement in all directions towards the interior, among which microxeas, aspidasters and oxyasters are dispersed. Spicules (Figs. 3 C���F, 4 A���E). Megascleres are fusiform oxeas slightly curved 620���750 �� 9.1���12 ��m, orthotriaenes with rays in an equidistant angle, probably in two size classes, rhabds 250���480 �� 5.3���13 ��m, clads 160���210 ��m. Microscleres: trilobulate aspidaster 70���140 �� 30���36 ��m, centrotylote microxeas 52���72 �� 2.6���3.9 ��m, chiasters I with 5���6 rays with finely spined tips 24.6���57.2 ��m in diameter, chiasters II 13.3���15.6 ��m, and oxyasters with 9���16 micro-spined rays, 12.7���15.6 ��m. Distribution and ecology. Northeastern Gulf of Mexico: 12.5 m depth (de Laubenfels 1953), and north La Habana, Cuba (Alcolado 1976). This is the first record for the species in Mexican waters of the southern GMx. As far as is known, the species inhabits reef environments. Remarks. Erylus trisphaerus differs from its congeners in the West Indies by having trilobate aspidasters. The specimen herein reported has a massive shape with lobules, contrary to the spherical shape that de Laubenfels quote in the original description ������probably spherical, with a single central hollow indicating numerous smaller cavities������ this denotes the ease with which the body collapses when it is outside the water. Although Alcolado (1976) lists this species for North Cuba, he does not provide a description or other visual material that could be used to compare between specimens. The species appears recorded in other northern localities from the Gulf of Mexico, however such references (Little 1963; R��tzler et al. 2009) just cite the registration given by de Laubenfels in 1953. The lack of records from E. trisphaerus around the West Indies makes it a possible endemic species to the Gulf of Mexico. This new record for the Mexican coasts is particularly noteworthy because it has not been reported since the original description by de Laubenfels (1953)., Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, G��mez, Patricia & Sim��es, Nuno, 2015, Marine sponges (Porifera: Demospongiae) from the Gulf of M��xico, new records and redescription of Erylus trisphaerus (de Laubenfels, 1953), pp. 151-183 in Zootaxa 3911 (2) on pages 154-156, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3911.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/238815, {"references":["Laubenfels, M. W. de (1953) Sponges from the Gulf of Mexico. Bulletin of Marine Science Gulf and Caribbean, 2, 511 - 557.","Alcolado, P. M. (1976) Lista de nuevos registros de poriferos para Cuba. Serie Oceanologica (Academia de Ciencias de Cuba), 36, 1 - 11.","Little, F. J. (1963) The sponge fauna of the St. George's Sound, Apalache Bay, and Panama City regions of the Florida Gulf coast. Tulane Studies in Zoology, 11, 31 - 71.","Rutzler, K., Soest, R. W. M. van & Piatoni, C. (2009) Sponge (Porifera) of the Gulf of Mexico. In: Felder, D. L. & Camp, D. K. (Eds.) Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota: Biodiversity. Texas A & M University Press, Texas, pp. 1019 - 1104."]}

Dragmacidon reticulatum (Ridley & Dendy, 1886) (Figs. 15 A–B, 22 A) Selected synonymy: Axinella reticulata Ridley & Dendy, 1886: 481. Pseudaxinella lunaecharta; Wiedenmayer 1977: 155; Gómez & Green 1984: 81; Zea 1987: 195; Rubio-Fernández 1997: 57; Gómez 2002: 73. Pseudaxinella reticulata; Alvarez et al. 1998: 15 (with additional synonymy). Dragmacidon reticulatum; Rützler et al. 2009: 301. Material examined. CNPGG – 1411 Alacranes reef (22 ° 23 ’ 44.8 ”N 89 ° 42 ’ 21.9 ”W) depth 3 m; 03/VIII/ 2009; CNPGG – 1410 Sisal Banks reefs (21 ° 26 ’ 16.59 ”N 90 ° 16 ’ 39 ”W) depth 12 m, 09/VI/ 2011. Description. Massive-amorphous or mound shaped sponge, 7 cm wide and 5 cm high, narrower towards the base (Fig. 22 A). The sponge surface is punctiform, reticulate and microhispid owing to the protruding fibres, like thick evenly distributed conules. Oscules are conspicuous and circular 5‒8 mm in diameter, usually distributed on top of the sponge. The consistency is firm, not easily compressible. Color is bright orange when alive, light orange or beige in alcohol. Skeleton. Choanosomal skeleton consist of a reticulation of plurispicular tracts without axial condensation (390‒450 µm thick); these are joined by connective fibres 210‒280 µm in diameter, forming meshes of 650 µm width (Fig. 15 A). Spicules. Styles bent in the middle and toward round ends, 200‒300 × 6.8‒7.8 µm; oxeas also bent in the middle, 283‒340 × 7.8‒9.8 µm (Fig. 15 B). Distribution and ecology. North Carolina, Bahamas, Bermuda, Florida, Colombia, Venezuela, Curaçao, Brazil, on rock patches, mangrove roots and coral reefs at 0.5 to 70 m depth (Alvarez et al. 1998); Panamá (Guzmán & Guevara 1998); Cuba (Alcolado 2002) Quintana Roo (Gómez 2002). Inhabits coral reefs on coral rubble, seaweed and seagrass from 3 to 12 m depth. Rubio-Fernández recorded this species in 1997 as Pseudaxinella lunaecharta in the east border of Campeche Bank, but that record has never been published. Remarks. Dragmacidon reticulatum has never been collected from Veracruz reefs, although there is one unpublished record from the Campeche Bank area (Rubio-Fernández 1997). Being a widespread species around the Caribbean Sea, from shallow to 70 m deep, from reefs to mangrove environments, it had not been recorded inside the Gulf except from Florida, in colder waters than the southern part.

Strongylacidon bermuda (de Laubenfels 1950) (Fig. 9 A���C) Selected synonymy: Fibulia bermuda de Laubenfels, 1950: 52. Material examined. CNPGG ��� 1166 Alacranes reef (22 �� 23 ��� 9.05 ���N 89 �� 40 ��� 49.71 ���W), depth 5 m, 1 /VIII/ 2009 CNPGG ��� 1192 Alacranes reef (22 �� 23 ��� 9.05 ���N 89 �� 40 ��� 49.71 ���W), depth 5 m, 1 /VIII/ 2009. Description. Massive rounded sponge with low mounds (Fig. 9 A), 5 cm in diameter and 3 cm in height. Surface is markedly conulose. These protuberance-like conules are mainly round and evenly distributed all over the surface, 0.5���1.5 mm in height, 1���2 mm apart. Several oscules mainly on top of the sponge are 3���5 mm in diameter. Consistency is firm but slightly compressible. A not so easily detachable thin dermis is visible; with a reticulate pattern of pigmented granules enclosing the pore fields. Color in vivo is black with green subectosomal veins, dark violet or black in alcohol. Skeleton. Without ectosomal skeleton. The choanosomal skeleton consists of poorly defined reticulation made by densely packed tracts of spicules outlining round to irregular meshes (Fig. 9 B). Ill-defined tracts 150���300 ��m in thickness, several of which conform a trellis work towards the surface, making up those conules or tuberculate protuberances of the surface. Connective tracts 30���70 ��m thick, with abundant but loose single strongyles. Spicules. Abundant straight, uniform and slender strongyles, with isodiametric endings 158.6���218 �� 1.3���2.8 ��m (Fig. 9 C), some with rod shaped, and loop shaped ends. Microscleres are absent. Distribution and ecology. Bermuda (de Laubenfels 1950). Inhabits reef environments and reported up to 15 m in depth. This is the first record for the Gulf of Mexico. Remarks. Strongylacidon bermuda has not been recorded again since its original description by de Laubenfels (1950) in Harrington Sound, Bermuda, where it was fairly common. The features described for S. bermuda are consistent with the present material. The massive habit is rather common for S. bermuda, although some differences emerge: 1) massive with a tendency to grow up into rounded lobes, hardly called digitate (de Laubenfels 1950); 2) massive with rounded lobes or low tubes (R��tzler 1986:Fig. 32; as Ulosa) and 3) massive with low mounds (present work)., Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, G��mez, Patricia & Sim��es, Nuno, 2015, Marine sponges (Porifera: Demospongiae) from the Gulf of M��xico, new records and redescription of Erylus trisphaerus (de Laubenfels, 1953), pp. 151-183 in Zootaxa 3911 (2) on page 163, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3911.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/238815, {"references":["Laubenfels, M. W. de (1950) The Porifera of the Bermuda Archipelago. Transactions of the Zoological Society of London, 27, 1 - 154. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.1111 / j. 1096 - 3642.1950. tb 00227. x","Rutzler, K. (1986) Phylum Porifera (sponges). In: Sterrer, W. (Ed.), Marine Fauna and Flora of Bermuda. John Wiley T Sons, New York, pp. 111 - 127."]}

Chalinula molitba (de Laubenfels, 1949) (Figs. 19 A���B, 22 C) Selected synonymy: Haliclona molitba de Laubenfels, 1949: 9; Wiedenmayer 1977: 81 (as H. (Haliclona) molitba); van Soest, 1980: 9; Alcolado 2002: 67. Reniera carmabi van Soest, 1980: 14. Chalinula molitba; de Weerdt 2000: 55 (with more synonymy). Material examined. CNPGG ��� 121 Sisal Banks reefs (21 �� 26 ��� 16.59 ���N, 90 �� 16 ��� 39 ���W), depth 9 m, 9 /VI/ 2011; CNPGG ��� 1214 Sisal Banks reefs (21 �� 26 ��� 24 ���N, 90 �� 28 ��� 25.39 ���W) depth 15 m 13 /VI/ 2011. Description. Variable in morphology, usually a cluster of small tubules of 3 cm length and 5 cm width. Apical oscules, 3���9 mm in diameter (Fig. 22 C). The consistency is soft, fluffy and easily compressible. The color is dark pink when alive and pink or beige in alcohol. Surface is smooth. Skeleton. Ectosomal skeleton absent. Choanosomal skeleton is an anisotropic network, consisting of paucispicular primary fibres 10���14 ��m in diameter and cored by 1���5 spicules, connected by secondary unispicular fibres or tracts 5.6���10.2 ��m in diameter (Fig. 19 A). The skeleton is dominated by spicules, but still covered by plain spongin. Spicules. Oxeas mostly fusiform but with a trend toward strongyloxeas (Fig. 19 B), 60���134 �� 0.5���2.8 ��m. Distribution and ecology: Florida and throughout the Caribbean (R��tzler et al. 2009), Belize, Bermuda, North Carolina, Florida, Bahamas, Puerto Rico, St. Lucia, Venezuela, Colombia, Bonaire (de Weerdt 2000); Cuba (Alcolado 2002). Chalinula molitba has been described from mangrove environments and Thalassia meadows, although it has also been reported from deeper habitats, to 18 m depth (de Weerdt 2000). However, its distribution is mainly in shallow water. In the present work the specimens were collected in coral reef environments, associated with coral rubble in depth ranges between 9 to 15 m. This is the first record for Chalinula molitba in Mexico and the southern Gulf of Mexico. Remarks. The present material exactly matches the features described for Chalinula molitba. Even when main traits such as growth form, spicule sizes, and skeletal architecture are notably variable, a series of intermediate forms are found, for which de Weerdt (2000) is commended for details. However its color varies from bright-dark pink, to intense violet, light brown or sometimes brown with yellowish cream tinges. The blue color mentioned by van Soest (1980) is enigmatic and may have been caused by local or other conditions (de Weerdt 2000)., Published as part of Ugalde, Diana, G��mez, Patricia & Sim��es, Nuno, 2015, Marine sponges (Porifera: Demospongiae) from the Gulf of M��xico, new records and redescription of Erylus trisphaerus (de Laubenfels, 1953), pp. 151-183 in Zootaxa 3911 (2) on page 175, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3911.2.1, http://zenodo.org/record/238815, {"references":["Wiedenmayer, F. (1977) Shallow water sponges of the Western Bahamas. Experientia Supplementum, 28, 1 - 287. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.1007 / 978 - 3 - 0348 - 5797 - 0","Soest, R. W. M van (1980) Marine sponges from Curacao and other Caribbean localities. Part II. Haplosclerida. In: Hummelinck, P. W. & Van der Steen, L. J. (Eds.), Studies on the Fauna of Curacao and other Caribbean Islands. Uitgaven van de Natuurwetenschappelijke Studiekring voor Suriname en de Nederlandse Antillen, No. 104, pp. 1 - 173.","Weerdt, W. H. de (2000) A monograph of the shallow-water Chalinidae (Porifera, Haplosclerida) of the Caribbean. Beaufortia, 50, 1 - 67.","Rutzler, K., Soest, R. W. M. van & Piatoni, C. (2009) Sponge (Porifera) of the Gulf of Mexico. In: Felder, D. L. & Camp, D. K. (Eds.) Gulf of Mexico Origin, Waters, and Biota: Biodiversity. Texas A & M University Press, Texas, pp. 1019 - 1104."]}