Search

Neopetrosia carbonaria (Lamarck, 1814) (Figures 2–4, Table 1) Spongia carbonaria Lamarck, 1814: 375. Thalysias carbonaria Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864: 83–84. Pachychalina carbonaria Arndt, 1927: 152–153. Phloeodictyon carbonaria Topsent, 1930: 26–27. Adocia carbonaria Hechtel, 1965: 26; Hechtel, 1969: 9; Hechtel, 1976: 252 (non Adocia carbonaria sensu Rocha, 1995 [= Haliclona (Soestella) melana]). Pellina carbonaria De Laubenfels, 1936: 68–69; Van Soest, 1980: 83; Pulitzer-Finali, 1986: 159; Zea, 1987: 125. Xestospogia carbonaria Lehnert & Van Soest, 1998: 93; Ŗtzler et al., 2000: 238; Díaz, 2005: 470. Neopetrosia carbonaria Ŗtzler et al., 2009: 304; Zea et al., 2014; Pérez et al., 2017: 10. Neopetrosia aff. carbonaria Rocha et al., 2021: 262. Collected material (six specimens). Northeastern Brazil, Paraíba State: UFPEPOR 1637, Carapibus beach (7°17′57.66″ S, 34°47′52.93″ W), Paraíba State, Brazil, 1 m depth, coll. G. G. Santos, 31 January 2014; UFPEPOR 1853, 1854, 1855, Carapibus beach (7°17′57.66″ S, 34°47′52.93″ W), Paraíba State, Brazil, 1 m depth, coll. G. G. Santos, 21 February 2015. Northeastern Brazil, Pernambuco State: UFPEPOR 1458, 1472, Enseada dos Corais beach (8°19′23″ S, 34°56′57″ W), Cabo de Santo Agostinho Municipality, Pernambuco State, Brazil, 1 m depth, colls. U. Pinheiro and G. G. Santos, 26 November 2012. Additional examined material (15 specimens). Northeastern Brazil, Ceará State: MNRJ 17400, Icaraizinho de Amontada, intertidal, coll. Rômulo Farias Kyria Santiago, November 2013; MNRJ 17866, Mundaú beach (3.17418º S, 39.35723º W), Trairí city, 1 m depth, coll. M. Carvalho, 29 March 2014; MNRJ 17741, MNRJ 17766, Mundaú beach (3.17418º S, 39.35723º W), Trairí city, 1 m depth, coll. E. Hajdu, 29 and 31 March 2014; MNRJ 17777, Mundaú beach (3.17418º S, 39.35723º W), Trairí city, 1 m depth, coll. A. Bispo, 29 March 2014; MNRJ 17832, Mundaú beach (3.17418º S, 39.35723º W), Trairí city, 1 m depth, coll. S. Salani, 29 March 2014; MNRJ 17782, 17783, Flecheiras beach (3.21858º S, 39.26344º W), 1 m depth, coll. A. Bispo, 30 March 2014; MNRJ 17840, Flecheiras beach (3.21858º S, 39.26344º W), 1 m depth, coll. S. Salani, 30 March 2014; MNRJ 17887, Flecheiras beach (3.21858º S, 39.26344º W), 1 m depth, coll. M. Carvalho, 30 March 2014. Northeastern Brazil, Rio Grande do Norte State: MNRJ 18033, Parrachos de Maracajaú, Maxaranguape City (5.40114º S, 35.29677º W), depth not recorded, coll. S. Salani, 6 April 2014. Northeastern Brazil, Bahia State: MNRJ 18690, Abrolhos Bank, Pedra de Leste, 3 m depth, coll. F. Moraes, 30 June 2014. Northeastern Brazil, Alagoas State: MNRJ 4713, Ponta Verde beach (9.65000º S, 35.68333º W), Maceió city, 0.5–1 m depth, coll. E. Hajdu, 3 September 2001; MNRJ 17035, Ponta do Meirim beach (9.70000º S, 35.76667º W), Maceió city, 0.5–1 m depth, coll. A. Bispo, 10 January 2012. Comparative material. Spongia carbonaria Lamarck, 1814, Holotype MNHN-LBIM-DT 545, Schyzotype MNRJ 21834. Adocia carbonaria Hetchel, 1976, YPM IZ 8960, Piedade reef, near Recife city, Pernambuco State, Brazil, coll. Jacques Laborel, 21 November 1961. Neopetrosia carbonaria, MNRJ 9405, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Bocas del Toro, 1 m depth, coll. G. Muricy, 15 August 2005. New diagnosis. Neopetrosia carbonaria is a thick encrusting to repent or ramose sponge, with reddish brown to brown color or dark green to black color in vivo, two categories of oxeas as megascleres and rare raphidiform toxas as microscleres. External morphology (Fig. 2). Thickly encrusting (Fig. 2A–D) to repent (Fig. 2E–F) or ramose growth form (Fig. 2G–H), up to 7.5 x 3.5 x 1.5 cm (length x width x thickness). The surface is smooth to rough, uneven, easily detachable. The subdermal spaces are visible. The oscules have a lighter-colored rim and may be flush with the surface or raised on volcano-like to tubular projections up to 1 cm high, 0.5–4.0 mm in diameter. The consistency is hard and crumbly. The color in vivo varies from reddish brown (Figs. 2A–B and 2E–F) to brown (Fig. 2G–H) or dark green (Fig. 2C) to almost black (Fig. 2D) and becomes dark brown or black, when preserved. The preservation alcohol turns bluish or greenish black when the sponge is placed in it, becoming black after a while. Skeleton (Fig. 3). The ectosomal skeleton is a tangential isodictyal reticulation of single oxeas I, overlying a subsuperficial reticulation. The dermal membrane is pierced by pores with 17–38 μm in diameter. Spongin is abundant inside the ectosomal meshes and at the nodes of spicules in the isodictyal ectosome (Fig. 3A–B). Short pauci- to multispicular perpendicular tracts support the surface and form the regularly distributed subdermal spaces, with 200–1.000 μm in diameter (Fig. 3C). The choanosome is a dense mass of oxeas I forming vague, rounded meshes (100–800 μm in diameter), which are largely obscured by longitudinal, thick tracts (Fig. 3C). In the deeper region of the choanosome there are more spicules strewn in confusion, especially oxeas II (Fig. 3C). Dark brown, almost black, pigmented cells are common. Spicules (Fig. 4) (average of all specimens; individual measurements in Table 1). Two categories of oxeas were observed: (1) Oxeas I, smooth, stout, slightly curved, usually with conical ends, but acerate, blunt, mucronate, strongylote and stylote ends are common (Figs. 4A–B). Their shape is rather uniform, but the spicules have a large size range (160–226–281 / 6–12–23 μm). (2) Oxeas II, thin, smooth, slightly curved or double bent, with acerate ends (111–177–245 / 1–3–9 μm) (Fig. 4C). The oxeas II could be developmental stages. Microscleres are very thin toxas, with a central swelling, variable in shape, some with low and straight axis, similar to raphides, and others with high and curved axis: 21–46–77 μm (Fig. 4 D’–D’). These toxas were observed only in nine of the 22 specimens examined. Bathimetric distribution and ecology. Neopetrosia carbonaria is an intertidal and shallow water species, found between 0.5–3 m depth. It is often found in reef environments, on the under-surfaces of dead corals or buried in muddy sediment. The specimens from Northeastern Brazil has been observed growing among the bryozoans of the genus Stylopoma Levinsen, 1909, the zoanthid Palythoa caribaeorum Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1860, other sponges and calcareous algae. Distribution. U.S. Virgin Islands (Duchassaing & Michelotti 1864), Florida (Van Soest 1980), Gulf of Mexico (Ŗtzler et al. 2009), Curaçao (Van Soest 1980; Arndt 1927), Jamaica (Hechtel 1965; Pulitzer-Finali 1986), Barbados (Hechtel 1969), Dry Tortugas (de Laubenfels 1936), Puerto Rico (Van Soest 1980; Pulitzer-Finali 1986), Colombia (Zea 1987; Zea et al. 2014), Bocas del Toro (Díaz 2005), Belize (Ŗtzler et al. 2000), Martinique (Pérez et al. 2017). Northeastern Brazil: Ceará, Rio Grande do Norte, Paraíba, Pernambuco, Alagoas and Bahia States (Hechtel 1976; present study). Taxonomic remarks. Neopetrosia carbonaria is defined here by the thick encrusting to repent or ramose growing form, with reddish brown to brown color and dark green to black color in vivo, two categories of oxeas as megascleres and rare raphidiform toxas as microscleres. Despite the presence of oxeas larger than 200 μm, which approach this species to the genus Xestospongia, the studied specimens were assigned to Neopetrosia based on its skeletal arrangement that is somewhat irregular, with poorly defined multispicular tracts, but with a well-developed subdermal layer. Some studied specimens showed similar features with the holotype of Neopetrosia carbonaria, such as the thickly encrusting shape, with oscular projections, the very dark color, the presence of a subdermal layer and pigmented cells in the skeleton, and stout and fusiform oxeas, with similar sizes (Topsent 1930). However, new morphological features and spicules types were revealed in some Brazilian populations of N. carbonaria, such as the presence of raphidiform toxas as microscleres and a wide range of color, including reddish brown, brown and dark green color. We found toxas in nine of the 21 studied specimens from the Northeastern Brazil, in some pictures of spicule slides of Neopetrosia carbonaria sensu Hechtel, 1976 (as Adocia carbonaria, YPM IZ 8960) from Pernambuco State, Northeastern Brazil, and in one specimen from Bocas del Toro, Panama (MNRJ 9405) (Tab. 1). These microscleres can be quite rare and occur in both black and brown sponges. Despite the absence of toxas in the fragment of N. carbonaria holotype reexamined here (MNRJ 21834, Tab. 1), these microscleres were reported in some populations of N. carbonaria from the Caribbean coast of Colombia, as toxiform raphides (Zea 1987; Zea et al. 2014). Due the absence and rarity of raphidiform toxas in some specimens analyzed, unrelated to its color, we agree with Zea (1987) and assume that these differences are intraspecific. However, all the records of Neopetrosia carbonaria need a revaluation, since the presence of toxas among microscleres can be easily overlooked. In the field, reddish brown and brown specimens of N. carbonaria could be confused with N. subtriangularis and Calyx podatypa (De Laubenfels, 1934). Neopetrosia subtriangularis can be distinguished from N. carbonaria by its smaller and thinner oxeas (104–120–144 / 2–3–4 μm versus 160–226–281 / 6–12–23 μm in N. carbonaria) and C. podatypa has a more regular choanosomal skeleton, with well-defined uni- to paucispicular tracts, forming triangular to polygonal meshes, without a subdermal layer (Zea et al. 2014). In addition, none of these species has toxas and the dark green to black color of N. carbonaria., Published as part of Sandes, Joana, Rocha, Lívia, Pinheiro, Ulisses & Santos, George Garcia, 2023, New records of Neopetrosia carbonaria (Lamarck, 1814) from the Brazilian coast reveal new morphological features and spicule types, pp. 429-439 in Zootaxa 5264 (3) on pages 431-436, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5264.3.10, http://zenodo.org/record/7836620, {"references":["Arndt, W. (1927) Kalk- und Kieselschwamme von Curacao. Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde, 25, 133 - 158, pls. I - III, 152 - 153. https: // doi. org / 10.1163 / 26660644 - 02501006","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.","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","Hechtel, G. J. (1976) Zoogeography of Brazilian marine Demospongiae. In: Harrison, F. W. & Cowden, R. R. (Eds.), Aspects of sponge biology. Academic Press, New York, New York, pp. 237 - 259. https: // doi. org / 10.1016 / B 978 - 0 - 12 - 327950 - 7.50021 - X","Rocha, R. M. (1995) Abundance and distribution of sessile invertebrates under intertidal boulders (Sao Paulo, Brazil). Boletim do Instituto Oceanografico da Universidade de Sao Paulo, 43 (1), 71 - 88. https: // doi. org / 10.1590 / S 0373 - 55241995000100006","De Laubenfels, M. W. (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, 1 - 225.","Van Soest, R. W. M. (1980) Marine sponges from Curacao and other Caribbean localities. Part II. Haplosclerida. Studies on the Fauna of Curacao and other Caribbean Islands, 62 (191), 1 - 173.","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 del Museo civico di storia naturale Giacomo Doria, 86, 65 - 216.","Zea, S. (1987) Esponjas del Caribe Colombiano. Catalogo Cientifico Bogota, Colombia, 286 pp.","Lehnert, H. & Van Soest, R. W. M. (1998) Shallow water sponges of Jamaica. Beaufortia, 48 (5), 71 - 103.","Diaz, M. C. (2005) Common sponges from shallow marine habitats from Bocas del Toro region, Panama. Caribbean Journal of Science, 41 (3), 465 - 475.","Zea, S., Henkel, T. P. & Pawlik, J. R. (2014) The Sponge Guide: a picture guide to Caribbean sponges. 3 rd Edition. Available from: http: // spongeguide. uncw. edu / (accessed 26 January 2023)","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. E., 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 (3), e 0173859. https: // doi. org / 10.1371 / journal. pone. 0173859","Rocha, L., Moraes, F., Salani, S. & Hajdu, E. (2021) Taxonomy of Petrosiidae Van Soest, 1980 (Haplosclerida, Porifera) from Brazil. Zootaxa, 5004 (2), 251 - 287. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 5004.2.2","Levinsen, G. M. R. (1909) Morphological and systematic studies on the cheilostomatous Bryozoa. Nationale Forfatteres Forlag, Copenhagen, 431 pp. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 5690","De Laubenfels, M. W. (1934) New Sponges from the Puerto Rican deep. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, 91 (17), 1 - 28."]}

Petrosiidae (Haplosclerida, Demospongiae) is characterized by the hard and friable consistency, and an isotropic reticulated skeleton of oxeas/ strongyles. The Brazilian coast and oceanic islands harbor three out of four known genera of Petrosiidae: Neopetrosia de Laubenfels, 1949; Petrosia (Petrosia) Vosmaer, 1885 and Xestospongia de Laubenfels, 1932. A taxonomic survey of samples from several expeditions housed at the Porifera Collection of Museu Nacional, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, with additional comparative materials obtained from the Museu de Ciências Naturais, Fundação Zoobotânica do Rio Grande do Sul, and Universidade Federal de Pernambuco enabled the description of two new species: P. (P.) revizee sp. nov. and X. dorigo sp. nov. We also recorded a range extention for Neopetrosia proxima and Xestospongia muta, and Xestospongia grayi was synonymized with X. muta. Other species reported from the country are diagnosed, and an identification key for Petrosiidae from Brazil is provided.

The sponge-associated microbial community contributes to the overall health and adaptive capacity of the sponge holobiont. This community is regulated by the environment and the immune system of the host. However, little is known about the effect of environmental stress on the regulation of host immune functions and how this may, in turn, affect sponge-microbe interactions. In this study, we compared the bacterial diversity and immune repertoire of the demosponge, Neopetrosia compacta, and the calcareous sponge, Leucetta chagosensis, under varying levels of acidification and warming stress based on climate scenarios predicted for 2100. Neopetrosia compacta harbors a diverse microbial community and possesses a rich repertoire of scavenger receptors while L. chagosensis has a less diverse microbiome and an expanded range of pattern recognition receptors and immune response-related genes. Upon exposure to RCP 8.5 conditions, the microbiome composition and host transcriptome of N. compacta remained stable, which correlated with high survival (75%). In contrast, tissue necrosis and low survival (25%) of L. chagosensis was accompanied by microbial community shifts and downregulation of host immune-related pathways. Meta-analysis of microbiome diversity and immunological repertoire across poriferan classes further highlights the importance of host-microbe interactions in predicting the fate of sponges under future ocean conditions.

Neopetrothiazide (1), a pentacyclic isoquinoline quinone, was isolated from a Neopetrosia sp. sponge. The structure elucidation was facilitated by utilizing long-range heteronuclear single quantum multiple bond correlation (LR-HSQMBC) and heteronuclear multiple bond correlation (HMBC) nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) pulse sequences optimized to detect four- and five-bond (1)H–(13)C heteronuclear correlations. These NMR experiments can help assign proton-deficient structural motifs like neopetrothiazide (1), which has 14 contiguous nonprotonated centers (C, N, and S). Neopetrothiazide (1), with an unprecedented thiazide-fused structural scaffold, is the first natural product containing a thiazide moiety.

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).

Neopetrosia sulcata Santos, Sandes, Cabral & Pinheiro, 2016 Holotype (not examined). Brazil, Rio Grande do Norte State, UFPEPOR 17, Potiguar Basin (4.62547�� S, 36.76686�� W), 70���101 m depth, leg. Petrobras, 2003.5.4. Diagnosis. Irregularly cylindrical fragments. Surface punctiform or furrowed, rugose to the touch, with scattered circular oscules (1.5���10 mm diam.), always flush with the surface. Consistency hard, slightly brittle. Ectosome formed by tangential multispicular tracts (50���250 ��m diam.), with rounded meshes (150���300 ��m diam.), and the apical brushes of oxeas from longitudinal choanosomal spicule tracts. Choanosomal skeleton isotropic, with a superimposed anisotropic orientation of multispicular tracts and single spicules strewn in confusion. Oxeas smooth, relatively robust, usually curved, with fairly high percentage of variations at the ends (mucronate, stepped, hastate, asymmetrical, or blunt), 119���193 x 2.8��� 9.6 ��m [adapted from Santos et al. 2016]. Description. Refer to Santos et al. (2016). Distribution. Tropical Atlantic. Brazil: Maranh��o State (Campos et al. 2005, as N. proxima); Potiguar Basin, Rio Grande do Norte State (Santos et al. 2016)., Published as part of Rocha, L��via, Moraes, Fernando, Salani, Sula & Hajdu, Eduardo, 2021, Taxonomy of Petrosiidae Van Soest, 1980 (Haplosclerida, Porifera) from Brazil, pp. 251-287 in Zootaxa 5004 (2) on page 262, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5004.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/5677189, {"references":["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","Campos, M., Mothes, B., Eckert, M. & Van Soest, R. W. M. (2005) Haplosclerida (Porifera: Demospongiae) from the coast of Maranhao State, Brazil, Southwestern Atlantic. Zootaxa, 963 (1), 13 - 20. https: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 963.1.1"]}

Neopetrosia aff. carbonaria (Lamarck, 1814) Neopetrosia carbonaria (Lamarck, 1814): Muricy et al. 2011: 106 (in part, only Brazilian records). Studied material (14 specimens): Brazil, Cear�� State, MNRJ 17400, Acaraizinho de Amontada, intertidal, Col. R. Farias and K. Santiago Santiago, 2013.11; Trair�� City: Munda�� beach (3.17418�� S, 39.35723�� W): MNRJ 17866, 1 m depth, Col. M. S. Carvalho, 2014.3.29; MNRJ 17741, 1 m depth, Col. E. Hajdu, 2014.3.29; MNRJ 17766, 1 m depth, Col. E. Hajdu, 2014.3.31; MNRJ 17777, 1 m depth, Col. A. Bispo, 2014.3.29; MNRJ 17832, 1 m depth, Col. S. Salani, 2014.3.29; Flecheiras Beach (3.21858�� S, 39.26344�� W): MNRJ 17782, 1 m depth, Col. A. Bispo, 2014.3.30; MNRJ 17783, 1 m depth, Col. A. Bispo, 2014.3.30; MNRJ 17840, 1 m depth, Col. S. Salani, 2014.3.30; MNRJ 17887, 1 m depth, Col. M. S.Carvalho, 2014.3.30. Rio Grande do Norte State, MNRJ 18033, Parrachos de Maracaja��, Maxaranguape City (5.40114�� S, 35.29677�� W), depth not record, Col. S. Salani, 2014.4.6. Alagoas State, Macei�� City: Ponta Verde Beach (9.65000�� S, 35.68333�� W): MNRJ 4713, 0.5���1 m depth, Col. E. Hajdu, 2001.9.3; Recife Ponta do Meirim (9.70000�� S, 35.76667�� W): MNRJ 17035, 0.5���1 m depth, Col. A. Bispo, 2012.1.10. Bahia State: MNRJ 18690, Abrolhos Bank, Pedra de Leste, 3 m depth, Col. F. Moraes, 2014.6.30. Comparative material. Spongia carbonaria Lamarck, 1814, Holotype MNHN-LBIM-DT 545, Schizotype MNRJ 21834. Adocia carbonaria, Hechtel (1976), YPM IZ 008960, Pernambuco State (Recife), digitized images of dissociated spicules and thick anatomical sections. Remarks. We found toxas in many Brazilian specimens studied (MNRJ 4713, 9405, 17034, 17400), hitherto unreported for the species, and seemingly absent from the holotype reexamined here. These toxas can be quite rare, and occur in both black or brown sponges. We consider Brazilian N. carbonaria -like sponges as likely belonging to a new species under description by Santos et al. (in prep., pers, comm.). For this reason, we preferred to withdraw its full description from our study to avoid overlapping their results., Published as part of Rocha, L��via, Moraes, Fernando, Salani, Sula & Hajdu, Eduardo, 2021, Taxonomy of Petrosiidae Van Soest, 1980 (Haplosclerida, Porifera) from Brazil, pp. 251-287 in Zootaxa 5004 (2) on page 262, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5004.2.2, http://zenodo.org/record/5677189, {"references":["Lamarck, J. B. P. De Monet, Comte De. (1814 - 1813) Sur les polypiers empates. Suite du memoire intitule: Sur les polypiers empates. Suite des eponges. Annales du Museum national d'Histoire naturelle, Paris, 20 (6), 294 - 312 (1813), 370 - 386, 432 - 458 (1814).","Muricy, G., Lopes, D. A., Hajdu, E., Carvalho, M. 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. (1976) Zoogeography of Brazilian marine Demospongiae. In: Harrison, F. W. & Cowden, R. R. (Eds.), Aspects of sponge biology. Academic Press, London, pp. 237 - 260. https: // doi. org / 10.1016 / B 978 - 0 - 12 - 327950 - 7.50021 - X"]}

Neopetrosia sulcata Santos, Sandes, Cabral & Pinheiro, 2016 Holotype (not examined). Brazil, Rio Grande do Norte State, UFPEPOR 17, Potiguar Basin (4.62547º S, 36.76686º W), 70–101 m depth, leg. Petrobras, 2003.5.4. Diagnosis. Irregularly cylindrical fragments. Surface punctiform or furrowed, rugose to the touch, with scattered circular oscules (1.5–10 mm diam.), always flush with the surface. Consistency hard, slightly brittle. Ectosome formed by tangential multispicular tracts (50–250 μm diam.), with rounded meshes (150–300 μm diam.), and the apical brushes of oxeas from longitudinal choanosomal spicule tracts. Choanosomal skeleton isotropic, with a superimposed anisotropic orientation of multispicular tracts and single spicules strewn in confusion. Oxeas smooth, relatively robust, usually curved, with fairly high percentage of variations at the ends (mucronate, stepped, hastate, asymmetrical, or blunt), 119–193 x 2.8– 9.6 μm [adapted from Santos et al. 2016]. Description. Refer to Santos et al. (2016). Distribution. Tropical Atlantic. Brazil: Maranhão State (Campos et al. 2005, as N. proxima); Potiguar Basin, Rio Grande do Norte State (Santos et al. 2016).

The marine sponge Neopetrosia contains about 27 species that is highly distributed in Indian Ocean, Atlantic Ocean (Caribbean Sea) and Pacific Ocean. It has proven to be valuable to the discovery of medicinal products due to the presence of various types of compounds with variable bio-activities. More than 85 compounds including alkaloids, quinones, sterols and terpenoids were isolated from this genus. Moreover, the crude extracts and the isolated compounds revealed activities such as antimicrobial, anti-fouling, anti-HIV, cytotoxic, anti-tumor, anti-oxidant, anti-protozoal, anti-inflammatory. Because only 9 out of 27 species of the genus Neopetrosia have been chemically studied thus far, there are signi?cant opportunities to ?nd out new chemical constituents from this genus.

Neopetrosia pandora de Laubenfels, 1954 Figure 1D, 2D, 3D, Table 1 Neopetrosia pandora de Laubenfels, 1954: 81, Fig. 49. Material examined: Holotype: USNM 23046, Palau, Matalim, East Ponape, 1 August 1949, 5m depth, coll. M.W. de Laubenfels. Description (amended from de Laubenfels 1954): A repent or sprawling ramose sponge, reaching a maximum length of at least 13 cm. The diameter of the branches is 9 mm; oscules are about 2 mm in diameter and 2 cm apart. Colour. Colour in life is dull olive drab. Consistency. Slightly spongy but also somewhat stiff, tearing very easily. Spicules. Oxeas in a range of 100- 119.8 -150 x 2.5- 2.9 -5 µm. Skeleton. Less dense, more irregular isodictyal spicule network with one size of spicule. Remarks: De Laubenfels (1954) described that the consistency of the type specimen was slightly spongy, somewhat stiff and tearing very easily. The surface of the type specimen does not possess an ectosomal specialisation, which is a typical characteristic of sponges from Family Chalinidae. Little or lack of spongin in skeleton was observed. The spicules are also much thinner than the other spicules of type specimens and samples analysed in this study., Published as part of Setiawan, Edwin, Erpenbeck, Dirk, Wörheide, Gert & De Voogd, Nicole J., 2018, Bearing the wrong identity: A case study of an Indo-Pacific common shallow water sponge of the genus Neopetrosia (Haplosclerida; Petrosiidae), pp. 43-58 in Zootaxa 4500 (1) on page 48, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4500.1.2, http://zenodo.org/record/5318940, {"references":["De Laubenfels, M. W. (1954) The Sponges of the West-Central Pacific. In: Oregon State Monographs, Studies Zoology. Oregon State College, Corvallis, pp. 1 - 306. https: // doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 6516"]}

Sponges of the order Haplosclerida are often abundant and characteristic components of Indo-Pacific reefs, but are often misidentified, because of the lack of clear distinctive morphological characters. Neopetrosia exigua is an example of a haplosclerid sponge that is very common in Indonesian shallow coral reef environments but bears several different names. In the present study we investigated type material of several Indo-Pacific Neopetrosia species with a similar morphology and examined freshly collected specimen materials including specimens that are deposited at several institutions. In addition, we used molecular phylogenetic methods for assisting the morphological examinations. We conclude that the true identity of Neopetrosia exigua should be Neopetrosia chaliniformis. Likewise, N. exigua and N. pacifica should be considered as junior synonyms of N. chaliniformis. In conclusion, we advocate that molecular barcoding could significantly aid on sponge species’ delimitation that possess limited morphological characters.

Neopetrosia subtriangularis (Duchassaing, 1850) Figures 22 a–c Restricted synonymy: Spongia subtriangularis Duchassaing, 1850: 26. Thalysias subtriangularis; Duchassaing & Michelotti 1864: 85, pl. XVII fig. 1 Xestospongia subtriangularis; Wiedenmayer 1977: 113, pl. 14 figs 1–5, text-fig. 128; Van Soest 1980: 71, pl. XII fig. 2, textfig. 26 (with additional synonyms). Neopetrosia subtriangularis; Desqueyroux-Faúndez & Valentine 2002: 911 (with discussion of synonyms). Material examined. RMNH Por. 9882, Suriname, ‘ Snellius O.C.P.S. ’ Guyana Shelf Expedition, station G56, 7.26°N 56.6667°W, depth 67–68 m, Agassiz trawl, 10 May 1966; RMNH Por. 9892, Suriname, ‘ Snellius O.C.P.S. ’ Guyana Shelf Expedition, station F45, 6.4417°N 56.5467°W, depth 34 m, Van Veen grab, 7 May 1966; RMNH Por. 9910, 9911, Suriname, ‘ Snellius O.C.P.S. ’ Guyana Shelf Expedition, station G7, 7.28°N 56.7933°W, depth 64 m, bottom sand, 7 May 1966; RMNH Por. 10507, Suriname, ‘ Snellius O.C.P.S. ’ Guyana Shelf Expedition, station F46, 6.312°N 56.57°W, depth 25–29 m, bottom sand, 7 May 1966. Description. Fragments of branches (Fig. 22 a), 1–1.5 cm in diameter, with scattered small oscules of 2 mm in diameter. Surface optically smooth, punctate, with some faint subdermal grooves. Color (in alcohol) reddish or orangeish brown. Consistency firm. Skeleton. At the surface (Fig. 22 b) there is a regular distribution of rounded to squarish meshes made by tracts of 1–3 spicules, overlying a denser choanosomal skeleton of tracts of 30–40 µm diameter forming squarish meshes of up to 150–200 µm diameter. No visible spongin. Spicules. Oxeas only. Oxeas (Fig. 22 c), curved, sharply pointed, in a large size variation, 132– 202 –240 x 6 – 8.1 –9.5 µm. Distribution and ecology. Guyana Shelf, Greater Caribbean, NE Brazil, in lagoons, reefs, on sandy bottom, from shallow-water down to 100 m depth (Guyana Shelf 25–68 m). Remarks. The spicules of this common, widespread species are apparently variable over its geographic range, as Van Soest (1980) gives 120–186 x 3.5–8.5 µm for predominantly Puerto Rican specimens, Zea’s (1987) Colombian length measurements are similar, but thickness reported by him is up to 11.7 µm, whereas Campos et al. (2005) measured 60–230 x 2.5–6 µm in a Brazil specimen. The present measurements of 132–240 x 6 –9.5 µm are at the higher end of the variation, possibly because the specimens were from deeper water., Published as part of Van, Rob W. M., 2017, Sponges of the Guyana Shelf, pp. 1-225 in Zootaxa 1 on pages 36-37, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.272951, {"references":["Wiedenmayer, F. (1977) Shallow-water sponges of the western Bahamas. Experientia Supplementum, 28, 1 - 287.","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), 1 - 173. Avaliable from: http: // www. repository. naturalis. nl / document / 550028 (Accessed 11 Jan. 2017)","Desqueyroux-Faundez, R. & Valentine, C. (2002) Family Petrosiidae van Soest, 1980. Hooper, J. N. A. & Van Soest, R. W. M. (Eds.), Kluwer Academic / Plenum Publishers, New York, Boston, Dordrecht, London, Moscow, pp. 906 - 917.","Campos, M., Mothes, B., Eckert, M. & van Soest, R. W. M. (2005) Haplosclerida (Porifera: Demospongiae) from the coast of Maranhao State, Brazil, Southwestern Atlantic. Zootaxa, 963, 1 - 22."]}

Neopetrosia proxima (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) Figures 21 a–d Thalysias proxima Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864: 84, pl. VIII figs 2–3. Densa araminta De Laubenfels, 1934: 14. Neofibularia proxima; Wiedenmayer 1977: 147. Xestospongia sp. Collette & Rützler 1977: 309 (cf. Zea 1987: 117). Xestospongia proxima; Van Soest et al. 1983: 198; Zea 1987: 116, pl. 9 figs 3–4, text-fig. 34; Lehnert & Van Soest 1996: 77; Rützler et al. 2000: table 2. Neopetrosia proxima; Santos et al. 2016: 336, figs 4–5. (Not: Neopetrosia proxima sensu Campos et al. 2005: 13, figs 8A–D; Mothes et al. 2006: 670 = Neopetrosia sulcata Santos, Sandes, Cabral & Pinheiro, 2016). Material examined. RMNH Por. 9878, Suriname, ‘ Snellius O.C.P.S. ’ Guyana Shelf Expedition, station G7, 7.28°N 56.7933°W, depth 64 m, bottom sand, 7 May 1966. Description. Thick repent lobes (Fig. 21 a), with punctate, optically smooth but finely irregular surface. Size about 5 x 2 x 2 cm. Oscules flush, scattered over the surface. Color (in alcohol) brown. Consistency hard, incompressible. Skeleton. At the surface (Fig. 21 b), the skeletal reticulation is thoroughly confused with smaller and larger meshes. The interior (Fig. 21 c) is densely spiculous, with vague thick tracts (up to 200 µm in thickness) forming an irregular alveolar reticulation. Spicules. Oxeas only. Oxeas (Fig. 21 d), robust, curved, usually with sharp points, 149– 167 –182 x 6 – 8.4 –9.5 µm. Distribution and ecology. Guyana Shelf, Virgin Islands, Porto Rico, Colombian Caribbean, Jamaica, Belize, NE Brazil, from shallow-water down to 94 m depth (Guyana Shelf 64 m). Remarks. According to the various descriptions, this seems a variable species. The present material appears quite similar to Zea’s (1987) specimens from the Caribean coast of Colombia. It is clearly dissimilar in shape, skeleton and spicule size to material described from Brazil by Campos et al. (2005) under this name, but this was recently referred to a different species, Neopetrosia sulcata Santos, Sandes, Cabral & Pinheiro, 2016. N. proxima is nevertheless present in Brazil according to Santos et al. 2016. There is some resemblance in shape to Neopetrosia dutchi Van Soest, Meesters & Becking, 2014, which has likewise lobes with flush oscules and a dense skeleton. The spicules of that species are distinctly longer and thicker (165–264 x 11–18 µm) and the oscules are up to 1.5 cm diameter., Published as part of Van, Rob W. M., 2017, Sponges of the Guyana Shelf, pp. 1-225 in Zootaxa 1 on page 35, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.272951, {"references":["De Laubenfels, M. W. (1934) New sponges from the Puerto Rican Deep. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collections, 91, 1 - 28.","Wiedenmayer, F. (1977) Shallow-water sponges of the western Bahamas. Experientia Supplementum, 28, 1 - 287.","Collette, B. B. & Rutzler, K. (1977) Reef fishes over sponge bottoms off the mouth of the Amazon River. Proceedings 3 rd International Coral Reef Symposium. Miami, Florida, U. S. A., pp. 305 - 310.","Zea, S. (1987) Esponjas del Caribe Colombiano. Catalogo Cientific, Bogot, Colombia, 286 pp.","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 (21), 189 - 205. Avaliable from: http: // www. repository. naturalis. nl / document / 549220 (Accessed 11 Jan. 2017)","Lehnert, H. & Van Soest, R. W. M. (1996) North Jamaican deep fore-reef sponges. Beaufortia, 46 (4), 53 - 81. Avaliable from: http: // www. repository. naturalis. nl / document / 548462 (Accessed 11 Jan. 2017)","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. http: // doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 4114.3.8","Campos, M., Mothes, B., Eckert, M. & van Soest, R. W. M. (2005) Haplosclerida (Porifera: Demospongiae) from the coast of Maranhao State, Brazil, Southwestern Atlantic. Zootaxa, 963, 1 - 22.","Mothes, B., Campos, M. A., Lerner, C. B. & Silva, C. M. M. (2006) Esponjas (Porifera, Demospongiae) da plataforma continental ao largo do Estado do Amap, Brasil. Revista Brasileira de Zoologia, 23, 667 - 677.","Van Soest, R. W. M., Meesters, E. H. & Becking, L. E. (2014) Deep-water sponges (Porifera) from Bonaire and Klein Curacao, Southern Caribbean. Zootaxa, 3878 (5), 401 - 443. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3878.5.1"]}

Suitable genetic markers for population studies in sponges are necessary to further our understanding of biodiversity and dispersal patterns, and contribute to conservation efforts. Due to the slow mitochondrial substitution rates in demosponges, nuclear introns are among the preferable markers for phylogeographic studies, but so far only the second intron of the ATP synthetase beta subunit-gene (ATPSβ) has been successfully established. In the present study, we analyse the intron of the Lysidyl Aminoacyl Transfer RNA Synthetase (LTRS), another potential marker to study demosponge intraspecific relationships, on samples of Neopetrosia chaliniformis from various locations in the Indo-Pacific and compare its variation with a mitochondrial marker (CO2). LTRS recovers several reciprocal monophyletic groups among the Indo-Pacific N. chaliniformis and provides a potential alternative to ATPSβ.

Two new polycyclic alkaloids, neopetrocyclamines A and B (1 and 2), along with the known metabolites papuamine (3) and haliclonadiamine (4), were isolated from the Indonesian sponge Neopetrosia cf exigua. Neopetrocyclamine A contains a formamidinium moiety, a rare functional group. While these compounds share the same basic biosynthetic building blocks, the size of the ring system differs in 1 and 2 because of the formamidinium moiety. Biological evaluations of 1–4 revealed that papuamine is cytotoxic against glioblastoma SF-295 cells (GI50 = 0.8 μM).

Neopetrosia proxima (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) (Figure 4���5, Table 1) For synonyms see Muricy et al. (2011). Examined material. UFSPOR 116, 118, 135, 162, off Pirambu city (10 �� 45 ��� 36 ���S 36 �� 36 ���08���W), Sergipe State, Brazil, 20 m depth, coll. Cosme e Dami��o Assis, June 2003. External morphology (Fig. 4 A���B). Massive lobed sponge. The largest specimen is 7 x 4 x 4 cm (length x width x height) and the smallest is 2 x 1.5 x 0.5 cm (length x width x height). The surface is smooth to rough with scattered oscules, up to about 2 mm in diameter, on the top of lobes, or slightly raised on the surface. The consistency is firm, hard and brittle. In ethanol, the color is purplish-brown or dark brown externally and light brown internally. Skeleton (Fig. 4 C���E). The tangential ectosome is an irregular reticulation of dense multispicular tracts, forming vague rounded meshes with various amounts of spongin (Fig. 4 C). At the surface there are fine brushes of oxeas issued from fascicular tracts (Fig. 4 D). The choanosome is an irregular reticulation formed by fascicules made of an isotropic to confused reticulation of multispicular tracts or single spicules strewn in confusion. The meshes are rounded to oval, 250���875 ��m in diameter (Fig. 4 E). Spicules (Fig. 5 A���C). Hastate oxeas, smooth, slightly curved with thinner developmental stages (Fig. 5 A) and few styloids modifications (Fig. 5 C): 96��� 149.1 ��� 177 / 1.6��� 5.3 ��� 9.6 ��m. Ecology. This species was found at 20 m depth. Geographical distribution. Tropical Northwestern Atlantic: U.S. Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Colombia, Jamaica, Barbados, Panama and Belize (Muricy et al. 2011). In the Brazilian coast: Northeastern Region: Sergipe State (present study). Remarks. Neopetrosia proxima is a sponge that usually inhabits rocky shores and shallow to deep waters (Zea et al. 2014). The specimens examined here were similar to Neopetrosia proxima from the Caribbean, both characterized by having massive form, oscules raised on small lobes and confused and disorganized skeleton (e.g. van Soest 1980; Zea 1987; Lehnert & van Soest 1996; Zea et al. 2014). According to Zea et al. (2014), the external morphology and spicules of this species are very diverse in different populations in Caribbean Sea and, probably, there are more than one species within the current scope of N. proxima from this area (Zea, personal communication). Compared to Bahamian, Colombian and Panamanian populations, the Brazilian specimens were more similar to the Colombian ones, sharing the massive form, purple color and robust hastate oxeas reaching larger and thicker sizes (75���223 / 1.7���10.7 ��m in Colombia and 96��� 149.1 ��� 177 / 1.6��� 5.3 ��� 9.6 ��m in Brazil). However, the Brazilian population is different from the Caribbean one in two aspects: the internal light-brown color and a tangential ectosome with dense and irregular reticulation in Brazilian versus the internal cream color and the tangential reticulation with erect spicule brushes at the intersections in Caribbean. References: (1) Present work - UFPEPOR 17, 396, UFSPOR 116, 118, 135, 162; (2) Zea et al. (2014); (3) Zea & R��tzler (1983); (4) Topsent (1933); (5) van Soest et al. (2014); (6) Desqueyroux-Fa��ndez & Valentine (2002); (7) Pulitzer-Finali (1986). When we compared the population of Neopetrosia proxima from Brazil with N. sulcata sp. nov., we observed some differences. The former has massive form, smooth surface, purplish-brown to dark brown external color, oscules on the top of mounds, irregular ectosomal reticulation and hastate oxeas, whereas the later has digitiform shape, punctiform surface, beige to light brown color, without differentiation between external and internal regions, apical oscules and/or flush with the surface, regular ectosomal reticulation and oxeas with high percentage of variation at the ends., Published as part of Santos, George Garcia, Sandes, Joana, Cabral, Abigail & Pinheiro, Ulisses, 2016, Neopetrosia de Laubenfels, 1949 from Brazil: description of a new species and a review of records (Haplosclerida: Demospongiae: Porifera), pp. 331-340 in Zootaxa 4114 (3) on pages 336-339, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4114.3.8, http://zenodo.org/record/255821, {"references":["Muricy, G., Lopes, D. A., Hajdu, E., Carvalho, M. S., Moraes, F. C., Klautau, M., Menegola, C. & Pinheiro, U. (2011) Catalogue of Brazilian Porifera. Rio de Janeiro, Museu Nacional, 300 pp. [Serie Livros; 46]","Zea, S., Henkel, T. P. & Pawlik, J. R. (2014) The Sponge Guide: a picture guide to Caribbean sponges. 3 rd Edition. Available from: www. spongeguide. org (accessed 1 Mar. 2016)","Van Soest, R. W. M. (1980) Marine sponges from Curacao and other Caribbean localities. Part II. Haplosclerida. Studies on the Fauna of Curacao and other Caribbean Islands, 62 (191), 1 - 173.","Zea, S. (1987) Esponjas del Caribe Colombiano. Catalogo Cientifico, Bogota, Colombia, 286 pp.","Lehnert, H. & van Soest, R. W. M. (1996) North Jamaican deep fore-reef sponges. Beaufortia, 46 (4), 53 - 81.","Zea, S. & Rutzler, K. (1983) A new species of Xestospongia (Porifera, Demospongea) from the Colombian Caribbean. Caldasia, 10, 817 - 831.","Van Soest, R. W. M., Meesters, E. H. & Becking, L. E. (2014) Deep-water sponges (Porifera) from Bonaire and Klein Curacao, Southern Caribbean. Zootaxa, 3878 (5), 401 - 443. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3878.5.1","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 del Museo civico di storia naturale Giacomo Doria, 86, 65 - 216."]}

Neopetrosia sulcata sp. nov. (Figure 2���3, Table 1) Neopetrosia proxima sensu Campos et al. 2005: 13; Muricy et al. 2008: 97. Type specimens. Holotype. UFPEPOR 17, Bacia Potiguar (4 �� 37 ��� 31.7 ���S 36 �� 46 ��� 0.7 ���W), Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil, 70���101 m depth, leg. Petrobras, 14 May 2003. Paratypes: UFPEPOR 306, Bacia Potiguar, Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil, leg. Petrobras, 24 may 2004. Analysed material. MCNPOR 5107, Maranh��o State (00�� 11 ��� 13 ���N 44 �� 46 ��� 12 ���W), Brazil, 93 m, 10 June 1999. MCNPOR 5016, Maranh��o State (00�� 20 ��� 38 ���S 44 �� 17 ��� 38 ���W), Brazil, 85 m, 12 June 1999. MCNPOR 3845, Maranh��o State (00�� 32 ���S 43 �� 50 ���W), Brazil, 72 m, 18 November 1997. 3823, Maranh��o State (01�� 33 ��� 81 ���S 43 �� 15 ��� 87 ���W), Brazil, 80 m, 0 2 December 1997. MCNPOR 3791, Maranh��o State (02�� 14 ��� 49 ���S 42 ��00��� 20 ���W), Brazil, 72 m, 0 6 December 1997. Diagnosis. Neopetrosia sulcata sp. nov. is the only Neopetrosia combining cylindrical shape and oxeas with high variability of ends. External morphology (Fig. 2 A). Irregular cylindrical fragments, 16 x 7 x 5 cm (height x length x thickness). The surface is punctiform or furrowed, rugose to the touch, with circular scattered oscules (1.5 to 4 mm in diameter) always flush with the surface (without colored borders). Choanosomal cavities can be observed through these oscula (Fig. 2 A). One of the specimens from Maranh��o State has a big osculum on the top, with 1 cm in diameter (MCN 3823, see figure 8 A of Campos et al. 2005). The consistency is hard but not very brittle and the color is beige to light brown in ethanol (92 %). Skeleton (Fig. 2 B���C). The tangential ectosome is formed by multispicular tracts, 50��� 100 ��� 250 ��m in diameter (Fig. 2 B), producing rounded meshes (150���300 ��m in diameter). The ectosomal skeleton overlies rounded subectosomal spaces, up to about 1 mm in diameter, and above these spaces there are brushes of spicules at the surface (Fig. 2 C). The choanosomal skeleton is isotropic but with a superimposed anisotropic orientation as it is typical for many Neopetrosia species according van Soest et al. (2014), composed by multispicular tracts and single spicules strewn in confusion (Fig. 2 C). Spicules (Fig. 3 A���B). Oxeas smooth, relatively robust, usually curved, with a fairly high percentage of variations at the ends: mucronate, stepped, hastate, asymmetrical, or blunt (see Fig. 3 B), with 119��� 157.5 ��� 193 / 2.8��� 4.9 ��� 9.6 ��m. This high percentage of variation at the ends is not typical of the genus Neopetrosia. Ecology. The outer surface of the type specimens was infested by zoanthids and in one of the paratypes there was a colony of bryozoans Steginoporella magnilabris (Busk, 1854) (acc. Winston et al. 2014). Depth range from 70��� 101 m. Distribution (Fig. 1). Only from Brazil: Maranh��o and Rio Grande do Norte States. Etymology. The name sulcata is derived from the punctiform or furrowed surface, which is one of the characteristics of this species. Remarks. This species was previously reported from Brazil as Neopetrosia proxima (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) by Campos et al. (2005: 13). We analyzed the material of Campos et al. (2005) and our specimens and concluded that these are not Neopetrosia proxima sensu original description and other records from the Caribbean (e.g. Zea 1987; van Soest & Stentoft 1988; Zea et al. 2014), but is, in fact, a new species of this genus. Besides, we compared this Brazilian material with specimens that distinctly belong to N. proxima, which is described below. The characteristics, which led us to make this decision, were morphological and skeletal. Neopetrosia sulcata sp. nov. has irregular and cylindrical shape, with punctiform/furrowed surface, beige to light brown color, apical oscules (one of the specimens) and/or oscula flush to the surface, in which choanosomal cavities can be observed, whereas Neopetrosia proxima has encrusting/massive shape, with smooth surface, dark brown to purple external color and cream internal color, and oscules located on the top of mounds. In relation to skeletal features, the former has a more disorganized skeleton than the later, since there are more spicules strewn in confusion and, consequently, the meshes are less defined. Besides, N. sulcata sp. nov. has oxeas with high percentage of variation at the ends (mucronate, stepped, hastate, asymmetrical, or blunt tips), whereas N. proxima has predominantly hastate/acerate oxeas to strongyloxeas (see Zea 1987 and Zea et al. 2014). The punctiform/furrowed surface of N. sulcata sp. nov. can be linked to zoanthid association, in which sponges provide benefits to these organisms as substratum, microhabitat, shelter and food. Some works demonstrated that sponge species are exclusively associated with only one or two zoanthid species, whereas zoanthids, particularly Parazoanthus and Epizoanthus, have a low degree of specificity (see Swain & Wulff 2007). Furthermore, this can be also related to the form and mechanical resistance of sponges (Montenegro-Gonz��lez & Acosta 2010). Besides the type specimens of N. sulcata sp. nov., the sponge-zoanthid association was also observed by Campos et al. (2005) in the specimens from Maranh��o State. The same happened with population of N. proxima from Colombian (Zea 1987, as Xestospongia proxima), Panama and Dominica (Swain & Wulff 2007). All these researchers reported a punctiform surface in these sponges, except Swain & Wulff (2007). Despite the likely change caused by zoanthids in a surface structure of N. sulcata sp. nov. specimens, this species remains different from others Neopetrosia species, specially N. proxima, due the characteristics proposed above. However, the association between N. sulcata sp. nov. and zoanthid species needs to be investigated, including the real identity of it, to evaluated the degree of specificity in this relationship. Besides N. proxima, eight additional species of Neopetrosia have been reported from the Western Atlantic (see van Soest et al. 2015), viz. N. carbonaria (Lamarck, 1814 as Spongia), N. cylindrica (Lamarck, 1815 as Alcyonium), N. dominicana (Pulitzer-Finali, 1986 as Xestospongia), N. dutchi van Soest et al. 2014, N. eurystomata van Soest et al. 2014, N. ovata van Soest et al. 2014, N. rosariensis (Zea & R��tzler, 1983 as Xestospongia) and N. subtriangularis. Neopetrosia carbonaria is a black massive sponge, whereas N. subtriangularis is brown ramose/erect (van Soest et al. 2014), clearly different from N. sulcata sp. nov. in habit and color. Neopetrosia dominicana differs from our new species in the type of the spicules, which are exclusively strongyles. Neopetrosia dutchi, N. eurystomata and N. ovata are common deep-water species (from the Caribbean Netherlands), different from N. sulcata sp. nov. mainly in habit (large lobes, vase shaped and ovate, respectively). Neopetrosia rosariensis has a dark brown color and tube shape and Neopetrosia cylindrica is an erect sponge with slightly red and white color. Finally, none of these tropical sponges have the cylindrical shape, with punctiform/ furrowed surface, and oxeas with high percentage of variation at the ends as N. sulcata sp. nov. has., Published as part of Santos, George Garcia, Sandes, Joana, Cabral, Abigail & Pinheiro, Ulisses, 2016, Neopetrosia de Laubenfels, 1949 from Brazil: description of a new species and a review of records (Haplosclerida: Demospongiae: Porifera), pp. 331-340 in Zootaxa 4114 (3) on pages 333-335, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.4114.3.8, http://zenodo.org/record/255821, {"references":["Campos, M., Mothes, B., Eckert, M. & van Soest, R. W. M. (2005) Haplosclerida (Porifera: Demospongiae) from the coast of Maranhao State, Brazil, Southwestern Atlantic. Zootaxa, 963, 1 - 22.","Muricy, G., Esteves, E. L., Moraes, F., Santos, J. P., Silva, S. M., Almeida, E. V. R., Klautau, M. & Lanna, E. (2008) Biodiversidade Marinha da Bacia Potiguar: Porifera. Rio de Janeiro, Museu Nacional, 156 pp. [Serie Livros; 29]","Van Soest, R. W. M., Meesters, E. H. & Becking, L. E. (2014) Deep-water sponges (Porifera) from Bonaire and Klein Curacao, Southern Caribbean. Zootaxa, 3878 (5), 401 - 443. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.11646 / zootaxa. 3878.5.1","Winston, J. E., Vieira, L. M. & Woollacott, R. M. (2014) Scientific Results of the Hassler Expedition. Bryozoa. No. 2. Brazil. Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, 161 (5), 139 - 239. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.3099 / MCZ 14.1","Zea, S. (1987) Esponjas del Caribe Colombiano. Catalogo Cientifico, Bogota, Colombia, 286 pp.","Van Soest, R. W. M. & Stentoft, N. (1988) Barbados Deep-Water Sponges. Studies on the Fauna of Curacao and other Caribbean Islands, 70 (215), 1 - 175.","Zea, S., Henkel, T. P. & Pawlik, J. R. (2014) The Sponge Guide: a picture guide to Caribbean sponges. 3 rd Edition. Available from: www. spongeguide. org (accessed 1 Mar. 2016)","Swain, T. D. & Wulff, J. L. (2007) Diversity and specificity of Caribbean sponge - zoanthid symbioses: a foundation for understanding the adaptive significance of symbioses and generating hypotheses about higher-order systematics. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 92, 695 - 711. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.1111 / j. 1095 - 8312.2007.00861. x","Montenegro-Gonzalez, J. & Acosta, A. (2010) Habitat preference of Zoantharia genera depends on host sponge morphology. Universitas Scientiarum, 15 (2), 110 - 121. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.11144 / javeriana. SC 15 - 2. hpoz","Van Soest, R. W. M., Boury-Esnault, N., Hooper, J. N. A., Rutzler, K., de Voogd, N. J., Alvarez, B., Hajdu, E., Pisera, A. B., Vacelet, J., Manconi, R., Schoenberg, C., Janussen, D., Tabachnick, K. R. & Klautau, M. (2015) World Porifera database. Available from: http: // www. marinespecies. org / porifera (accessed 20 march 2015)","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 del Museo civico di storia naturale Giacomo Doria, 86, 65 - 216.","Zea, S. & Rutzler, K. (1983) A new species of Xestospongia (Porifera, Demospongea) from the Colombian Caribbean. Caldasia, 10, 817 - 831."]}

Genus Neopetrosia De Laubenfels, 1949 Diagnosis. Compact sponges, with an ectosomal unispicular isodictyal layer and free brushes of oxeas, producing a finely hispid, smooth, ‘velvet-like’ surface. Ectosomal skeleton a tangential isodictyal network with one size of spicule, spongin and spicule brushes only at nodal points, free spicules abundant. Consistency hard, stony, spongin always scarce. Subdermal region with short spicular tracts, limited by a second surface skeleton layer (‘peripheral condensation’), or a paper-thin area about 1 mm below the surface. The choanosomal skeleton is a compact network of irregular paucispicular tracts with rounded meshes, irregular in size. Megascleres: oxeas, less than 200 μm long (Desqueyroux-Faúndez & Valentine 2002). Type species. Haliclona longleyi De Laubenfels, 1932 (by original designation)., Published as part of Sandes, Joana, Rocha, Lívia, Pinheiro, Ulisses & Santos, George Garcia, 2023, New records of Neopetrosia carbonaria (Lamarck, 1814) from the Brazilian coast reveal new morphological features and spicule types, pp. 429-439 in Zootaxa 5264 (3) on pages 430-431, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.5264.3.10, http://zenodo.org/record/7836620, {"references":["De Laubenfels, M. W. (1949) Sponges of the western Bahamas. American Museum Novitates, 1431, 1 - 25.","Desqueyroux-Faundez, R. & Valentine, C. (2002) Family Petrosiidae Van Soest, 1980. In: Hooper, J. N. A. & Van Soest R. W. M. (Eds.), Systema Porifera: a guide to the classification of sponges. l. Kluwer Academic / Plenum Publishers, New York, New York, pp. 906 - 917. https: // doi. org / 10.1007 / 978 - 1 - 4615 - 0747 - 5 _ 95","De Laubenfels, M. W. (1932) The marine and fresh-water sponges of California. Proceedings of the United States National Museum, 81 (2927), 1 - 140. https: // doi. org / 10.5479 / si. 00963801.81 - 2927.1"]}

Sponges, an important part of the reef ecosystem, are of commercial value for public aquaria, pharmacology and chemistry. With the growing demand for sponges, natural resources are at risk of being overexploited. Growing of sponges in artificial or semi natural farms is an alternative. In this study different farming methods were tested on two Indo-Pacific sponge species,Neopetrosiasp. andStylissa massa. Survival, growth and attachment ability were observed with different substrates (suspended ropes, coral boulders and artificial substrate), two types of aquaria with different water volume and two different field sites in Indonesia. The two species responded differently to their individual locations and environmental stresses. Survival, growth and attachment rates ofNeopetrosiasp. at the field site are depending on the cultivation method, we found highest volume increment (27–35%) for a horizontal line in the field. Whereas the volume increase forS. massadid not show any differences for the different transplantation methods,Neopetrosiasp. generally showed higher rates thanS. massa. Further aquaria experiments, for example, on nutrient supply, should be tested to receive more detailed data about sponges, particularly because almost all fragments of both species showed a decline or steady state in mean length.

To investigate the importance of symbiont-derived nutrition to host sponges, we coupled manipulative shading experiments with stable isotope analyses of isolated symbiont and host cell fractions. Experiments were conducted with four common reef sponges: Aplysina cauliformis, A. fulva, Neopetrosia subtriangularis, and Niphates erecta. The sponge N. erecta lacks photosymbionts, had a higher growth rate under shaded conditions, and displayed no difference in chlorophyll a (Chl a) concentrations across treatments. Isotope values suggested that this sponge obtains nutrition from particulate organic matter in the water column. In contrast, sponges hosting cyanobacterial symbionts (Aplysina spp. and Neopetrosia) had lower growth rates and lower Chl a concentrations under shaded conditions, suggesting that these hosts rely on photosymbiont nutrition. d15N and d13C values of sponge and microbial cell fractions demonstrated that, while both carbon and nitrogen are transferred from symbionts to host cells in A. cauliformis, only carbon is transferred in N. subtriangularis, and only nitrogen is transferred in A. fulva. Under shaded conditions, shifts in symbiont d13C values were coupled to shifts in host d13C values in some, but not all, host species, suggesting that the stability of these interactions varies across host species. Symbiont-derived nutrients are transferred to the cells of host sponges, and the variability observed among host species indicates that these interactions are more complex than originally hypothesized.

Three marine sponges Neopetrosia similis, Xestospongia testudinaria and Petrosia nigricans from the Gulf of Mannar, Southeast coast of India were compared based on their morphometric parameters and...

The species diversity and distribution of demosponges dwelling in the coral reefs, at Had Khanom—Mo Ko Thale Tai National Park on the southern coast of the Gulf of Thailand, was investigated, with field surveys undertaken at 12 sites in November 2006 using SCUBA diving and random observation. Forty-five species of demosponges from 10 orders, 24 families and 34 genera were recorded. The most abundant and common sponges in this area are: Oceanapia sagittaria; Neopetrosia sp. blue; Xestospongia testudinaria; and Haliclona (Gellius) cymaeformis. Most species are common representatives of the Indo-Pacific fauna found throughout the Gulf of Thailand.

Two new polycyclic alkaloids, njaoamines G (1) and H (2) and 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroquinolin-4-one (3) have been isolated from the sponge Neopetrosia sp. collected at Pemba Island, Tanzania. Compounds 1 and 2 are close in structure to njaoamines A–F. Compound 3, known synthetically, is a new natural compound. The structures and relative stereochemistries of compounds 1 and 2 were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data. Njaoamines G and H are potent brine shrimp toxins with LD50 values of 0.17 μg/mL and 0.08 μg/mL for 1 and 2, respectively.

Neopetrosides A (1) and B (2), new naturally occurring ribosides of nicotinic acid with extremely rare α-N-glycoside linkages and residues of p-hydroxybenzoic and pyrrole-2-carboxylic acids attached to C-5′, were isolated from a marine Neopetrosia sp. sponge. Structures 1 and 2 were determined by NMR and MS methods and confirmed by the synthesis of 1 and its β-riboside analogue (3). Neopetroside A (1) upregulates mitochondrial functions in cardiomyocytes.

The first enantiospecific syntheses of neopetrosiquinones A (6) and B (7), two merosesquiterpenes isolated from the deep-water sponge Neopetrosia cf. proxima, from the labdane diterpene trans-communic acid (10) have been achieved. A key step of the synthetic sequence is the simultaneous aromatization of the C ring and the benzylic oxidation on C-7 of an advanced intermediate, mediated by the oxygen–DDQ system. The in vitro antiproliferative activities of neopetrosiquinone B (7) and of the synthetic intermediates 8 and 9 against human breast (MCF-7), lung (A-549), and colon (T-84) tumor cell lines have been assayed. The most potent was compound 9 (IC50 = 4.1 μM), which was twice as active as natural compound 7 (IC50 = 8.3 μM) against A-549 cells. In addition, the treatment with these compounds resulted in an induction of apoptosis. These findings indicate that the terpene benzoquinones reported here might be potentially useful as anticancer agents.

[structure: see text] Neopetrosiamdes A (1) and B (2), two diastereomeric tricyclic peptides that inhibit amoeboid invasion of human tumor cells, have been isolated from the marine sponge Neopetrosia sp. collected in Papua New Guinea. The structures of the neopetrosiamides were elucidated by analysis of MS and NMR data and confirmed by chemical degradation.

The newly developed assay system using recombinant Leishmania amazonensis expressing enhanced green fluorescent protein (La/egfp) has been applied to the screening of Japanese marine sponges for antileishmanial activity. Bioassay-guided fractionation of an active sponge Neopetrosia sp. afforded an active compound which was identified as renieramycin A by spectroscopic analysis. It inhibited La/egfp with an IC50 value of 0.2 μg/mL.

Renieramycin J (1), a new tetrahydroisoquinoline alkaloid, has been isolated from a marine sponge Neopetrosia sp. as a potent cytotoxin that induced morphological changes in 3Y1 cells. Such changes are characteristic of RNA and/or protein synthesis inhibitors. The structure of 1 including the absolute stereochemistry was determined by spectroscopic and chemical methods.

A total of fifteen species of sponges were collected distinguished during 2011/2012. This list of genera and species provided in this work represented new records not previously reported for Elphinstone reef. The fifteen sponge species all were in the class Demospongiae represented by seven orders and thirteen families. The most common family was Theonellidae Lendenfeld, 1903, which was represented by one genus and three species. Most species were collected from the reef wall in relatively depth from 10-25 meters depth. The most widespread sponge collected was the massive Erylus sp. a number of species collected in this study may not have been described. For example Neopetrosia sp., Erylus sp., Suberea sp. and Theonella sp. collected during this study differ from the previously described taxon and may be a new species for this genus; however morphometric analysis are needed to confirm this assessment. The fragments labeled under special codes with their data; location, depth and color and then incorporated in the collections of the Regional Museum of Natural History (RMNH).

Neopetrosia ovata new species Figures 18a–f Material examined. Holotype: RMNH Por. 9257, Caribbean Netherlands, Klein Curacao, off SW coast (Dive 1), 11.9821°N 68.6452°W, in the sand at 149 m, coll. L.E. Becking & E. Meesters, field nr. CURASUB13-09/ BDR002, 27 May 2013. Description. Pinkish beige, ovate sponge (Figs. 18a–b), size 10 cm high, 8 cm in diameter, with a central oscule of 1.4 cm in diameter. The preserved holotype consists of three fragments the largest of which is 3.5 x 3 x 2 cm. Surface smooth, punctate in life, covered with tiny zoanthids. Oscule rim thin, slightly raised. Inner side of atrial lumen ridged lengthwise. Consistency firm to hard. Skeleton (Figs. 18e–f). Dense mass of oxeas forming vague rounded meshes, which are largely obscured by the thick tracts. Compared to the skeleton of N. dutchi n. sp. described above, the present skeleton is much less organized and much more confused. Spicules. Oxeas. Oxeas (Figs. 18c–d), smooth, robust, slightly curved, uniform in length, but variable in thickness, 200– 235– 270 x 10.5– 14.5 – 15 µm. Ecology and distribution. In the sand at 149 m depth, at Klein Curaçao. Etymology. The name refers to the characteristic shape of the sponge. Remarks. Although spicule sizes and shapes are essentially the same as the above N. dutchi n. sp. the present new species differs clearly from it in the habit (a single upright globular mass vs. a mass of coalescing lobes in N. dutchi n. sp.) and especially also the structure of the skeleton which is much denser and irregular with barely distinguishable meshes. In that respect it somewhat resembles Neopetrosia proxima (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) but in that species all the spicules are smaller than 200 µm, and its habit is encrusting with oscules raised on small lobes (see redescription in Zea 1987)., Published as part of Van Soest, Rob W. M., Meesters, Erik H. W. G. & Becking, Leontine E., 2014, Deep-water sponges (Porifera) from Bonaire and Klein Curaçao, Southern Caribbean, pp. 401-443 in Zootaxa 3878 (5) on pages 427-429, DOI: 10.11646/zootaxa.3878.5.1, http://zenodo.org/record/4948908, {"references":["Duchassaing De Fonbressin, P. & Michelotti, G. (1864) Spongiaires de la mer Caraibe. Natuurkundige verhandelingen van de Hollandsche maatschappij der wetenschappen te Haarlem, 21 (2), 1 - 124. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.5962 / bhl. title. 11943","Zea, S. (1987) Esponjas del Caribe Colombiano. Catalogo Cientifico, Bogota, Colombia, 286 pp."]}

Biofouling control involves the application of paints containing toxic substances to the marine ecosystem. One of the most promising alternative technologies to antifouling paints based on heavy metals is the development of coatings whose active ingredients are compounds naturally occurring in marine organisms. This study investigated the antifouling activity of organic extracts from some epibiont-free Colombian Caribbean Sea sponges (Agelas tabulata, Myrmekioderma gyroderma, Oceanapia peltata, Aplysina lacunosa, Neopetrosia sp.) and a sea-cucumber (Holoturia glaberrima). Extracts were incorporated into hard stable gels and into soluble matrix antifouling paints and exposed in the sea (Colombia and Argentina). After 45 and 90 days, significant differences in fouling cover percentages between painted panels and controls were found (p < 0.05). It was demonstrated that the greatest antifouling activity was contained in extracts of A. tabulata and Holoturia glaberrima in both study sites. This study successfully identified potential new sources of natural antifouling compounds. Fil: Acevedo, Marisol Santos. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Colombia Fil: Puentes, Carlos. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Colombia Fil: Carreño, Katerine. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Colombia Fil: León, Javier Gómez. Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras; Colombia Fil: Stupak, Mirta Elena. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Tecnología de Pinturas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigaciones en Tecnología de Pinturas; Argentina Fil: García, Mónica. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Tecnología de Pinturas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigaciones en Tecnología de Pinturas; Argentina Fil: Perez, Miriam Cristina. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Naturales y Museo; Argentina. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Tecnología de Pinturas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigaciones en Tecnología de Pinturas; Argentina Fil: Blustein, Guillermo. Universidad Nacional de La Plata. Facultad de Ciencias Agrarias y Forestales; Argentina. Provincia de Buenos Aires. Gobernación. Comisión de Investigaciones Científicas. Centro de Investigaciones en Tecnología de Pinturas. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas. Centro Científico Tecnológico Conicet - La Plata. Centro de Investigaciones en Tecnología de Pinturas; Argentina

The tricyclic peptides neopetrosiamides A and B, isolated from the marine sponge Neopetrosia sp., are potential antimetastatic agents that inhibit tumour cell invasion by both amoeboid and mesenchymal migration pathways. They differ in the stereochemistry of the methionine sulfoxide at position 24. Our previously reported syntheses using an orthogonal sulfur protection strategy established the critical connectivity of the three disulfide bonds. In this report, fifteen analogues of neopetrosiamide A and B, six which replace selected disulfide bonds and nine which replace the diastereomeric methionine sulfoxide, have been prepared using Fmoc solid-phase peptide chemistry. Disulfide replacement analogues were shown to lose activity, and only one of the methionine sulfoxide analogues retained full bioactivity in morphological studies.

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

The present study aimed to investigate the anti-inflammatory effect of marine sponges of the genus Neopetrosia which are abundant in the Colombian Caribbean. We obtained three fractions from a total methanolic extract of Neopetrosia rosariensis and proxima. In vivo activity was measured using λ-carrageenan-induced paw edema assay. The in vitro inhibitory effects were evaluated on myeloperoxidase activity (MPO) and nitric oxide (NO), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), and tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF- α) production. Total extracts of N. rosariensis and N. proxima (100 mg/Kg) significantly inhibited the paw edema of rats (71.74% and 60.06%, respectively). Dichloromethane and methanol fractions of Neopetrosia sponges reduced MPO activity. Only, dichloromethane fraction of N. rosariensis significantly inhibited NO (66%), PGE2 (30.5%) and TNF-α production (72%). Our results show anti-inflammatory activity in extracts and fractions from species of marine sponges belonging to Neopetrosia genus and open the way for complementary studies to purify and identify active molecules., Colegio de Farmacéuticos de la Provincia de Buenos Aires

Two new marine-derived sesquiterpene benzoquinones which we designate as neopetrosiquinones A (1) and B (2), have been isolated from a deep-water sponge of the family Petrosiidae. The structures were elucidated on the basis of their spectroscopic data. Compounds 1 and 2 inhibit the in vitro proliferation of the DLD-1 human colorectal adenocarcinoma cell line with IC50 values of 3.7 and 9.8 μM, respectively, and the PANC-1 human pancreatic carcinoma cell line with IC50 values of 6.1 and 13.8 μM, respectively. Neopetrosiquinone A (1) also inhibited the in vitro proliferation of the AsPC-1 human pancreatic carcinoma cell line with an IC50 value of 6.1 μM. The compounds are structurally related to alisiaquinone A, cyclozonarone, and xestoquinone.

[structure: see text] Neopetrosiamdes A (1) and B (2), two diastereomeric tricyclic peptides that inhibit amoeboid invasion of human tumor cells, have been isolated from the marine sponge Neopetrosia sp. collected in Papua New Guinea. The structures of the neopetrosiamides were elucidated by analysis of MS and NMR data and confirmed by chemical degradation.

Neopetrosia subtriangularis (Duchassaing, 1850) Figs. 9 A���D Spongia subtriangularis Duchassaing, 1850: 26. Xestospongia subtriangularis; Wiedenmayer, 1977: 113, pl. XIV, Figs. 1���5, text��Fig. 128; Van Soest, 1980: 71, Fig. 26, pl. XII, Fig. 2; Zea, 1987: 114, Fig. 33, pl. IX, Fig. 2; Lehnert, 1993: 46, Fig. 71���73; Lehnert & Van Soest, 1998: 92. Further synonymy: see Wiedenmayer (1977),Van Soest (1980) and Zea (1987). Examined material. MCNPOR 5340, 72 m, 00�� 22 ���N ��� 44 �� 52 ���W, 18.VII. 2001; MCNPOR 5003, 94 m, 00�� 35 ��� 12 ���S ��� 43 �� 20 ��� 55 ���W, 14 /VI/ 1999 (fragment deposited in ZMAPOR 17915). Material studied for comparison. Xestospongia subtriangularis (Duchassaing, 1850) ZMAPOR 9995 St. John, Virgin Isl. (fragment deposited in MCNPOR 2601). Description. Thick ramose fragments (Fig. 9 A). Dimensions of bigger fragment (MCNPOR 5003): 7.5 cm long, 2.0 cm width, 2.8 cm height. Smooth surface. Oscules conspicuous, 0.15���0.6 cm in diameter. Preserved material with hard consistency, violet colour on the surface and light brown in the inner part. Skeleton. Ectosome uni�� to multispicular network, with triangular to polygonal meshes 80���280 ��m in diameter (Fig. 9 B), tracts 10���90 ��m thickness. Choanosome with radial channels 200���440 ��m in diameter (Fig. 9 C); multispicular primary ascending tracts (up to 15 spicules) 40���60 ��m in diameter, with uni to plurispicular secondary interconnecting tracts, 20���70 ��m thickness, rectangular and triangular meshes 80���250 ��m in diameter. Spicules. Oxeas (Figs. 9 D). slightly curved, with acerate ends, blunt to conical, simple or stepped. Mesurements: 60��� 156. 7 ��� 230 / 2.5��� 3. 3 ��� 6.3 ��m (MCNPOR 5340); 73.6��� 150. 6 ��� 200 / 3.5��� 4. 8 ��� 6.9 ��m (MCNPOR 5003). Remarks. With our new record for the Brazilian coast, this appears to be another widespread species in the West Atlantic. The measurements of the oxeas are closely related to N. p roxima; however, the ascending primary tracts in the choanosome are unlike N. proxima skeletal features. Distribution. West Atlantic: Florida to Colombia (Van Soest, 1980; Zea, 1987; Lehnert, 1993). Brazilian coast: Maranh��o State (present study)., Published as part of Campos, Maur��cio, Mothes, Beatriz, Eckert, Rafael, Van, Rob W. M. & Soest, 2005, Haplosclerida (Porifera: Demospongiae) from the coast of Maranh��o State, Brazil, Southwestern Atlantic, pp. 1-22 in Zootaxa 963 on pages 15-17, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.171251, {"references":["Duchassaing De Fonbressin, P. (1850) Animaux radiaires des Antilles. Plon Freres, 1 - 35.","Wiedenmayer, F. (1977) Shallow-water sponges of the western Bahamas. Birkhauser Verlag, Basel, 287 pp.","Soest, R. W. M. Van (1980) Marine sponges of Curacao and other caribbean localities. Part II. Haplosclerida. Studies on the Fauna of Curacao and other Caribbean Islands, 62 (191), 1 - 173.","Zea, S. (1987) Esponjas del Caribe Colombiano. Catalogo Cientifico, Bogota, 286 pp.","Lehnert, H. (1993) The Sponges from Cozumel (Mexico). Inventory, critical comparison of taxonomic characters and description of a new species. Acta Biologica Benrodis, 5, 35 - 127.","Lehnert, H. & Soest, R. W. M. Van. (1998) Shallow water sponges of Jamaica. Beaufortia, 48 (5), 71 - 103."]}

Neopetrosia proxima (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) Figs. 8 A���D; Tab. IV Thalysias proxima Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864: 84, pl. VIII, Figs. 2���3. Densa araminta De Laubenfels, 1934: 14; 1950: 168. Xestospongia sp. Collette & R��tzler, 1977: 309. Xestospongia proxima; Van Soest et al., 1983: 198 ���204; Zea, 1987: 116 ���119, Fig. 34, pl. IX, Figs. 3���4; Van Soest & Stentoft, 1988: 132 ���133, pl. XII Fig. 4, text��Fig. 64; Lehnert & Van Soest, 1996: 77 ���78. Examined material. MCNPOR 5334, 72 m, 00�� 22 ���N ��� 44 �� 52 ���W, 17 /VII/ 2001 (fragment deposited in ZMAPOR 17917); MCNPOR 5107, 93 m, 00�� 11 ��� 13 ���N ��� 44 �� 46 ��� 12 ���W, 10 /VI/ 1999; MCNPOR 5016, 5276, 00�� 20 ' 38 "S ��� 44 �� 17 ' 38 "W, 85 m, 12 /VI/ 1999; MCNPOR 3845, 72 m, 00�� 32 ���S ��� 43 �� 50 ���W, 18 /XI/ 1997; MCNPOR 4967, 4996, 5000, 94 m, 00�� 35 ��� 12 ���S ��� 43 �� 20 ��� 55 ���W, 14 /VI/ 1999; MCNPOR 4781, 31 m, 00�� 51 ��� 44 ���S ��� 44 �� 21 ��� 24 ���W, 12 /VI/ 1999; MCNPOR 3814, 3823, 80 m, 01�� 33 ��� 81 ���S ��� 43 �� 15 ��� 87 ���W, 02/XII/ 1997 (MCN�� POR 3823: fragment deposited in ZMAPOR 17916); MCNPOR 3791, 72 m, 02�� 14 ��� 49 ���S ��� 42 ��00��� 20 ���W, 06/XII/ 1997. Material studied for comparison. Xestospongia sp., off the mouth of Amazon river (re��examined). Deposited in MCNPOR 2468 (det. Klaus R��tzler). Description. Irregular, finger��like fragments (Fig. 8 A): 17 cm long, 2.8 cm large, up to 4 cm height (measurements of the bigger fragment MCN 3823). Surface punctiform, hispid to the touch, infested with Parazoanthus; only one oscule visible, 1 cm in diameter. Preserved material incompressible consistency, colour light brown. Skeleton. Similar to descriptions of Zea (1987) and Lehnert & Van Soest (1996). Measurements emended. Ectosome: Uni�� to multispicular fibres, 30��� 88. 8 ��� 170 ��m in diameter (Fig. 8 B); meshes 150��� 243. 6 ��� 360 ��m in diameter. Choanosome: sub��superficial channel (Fig. 8 C), 70���304.9 ��� 700 ��m thickness (N= 45), multispicular primary fibres (60���200 ��m thickness), fascicles 350���750 ��m in diameter, secondary fibres 40���90 ��m thickness, meshes 80���220 ��m in diameter. Spicules. Oxeas (Figs. 8 D): slightly curved, acerate or occasionally hastate. Measurements: 117.5��� 147. 4 ��� 172.5 / 2.5��� 3. 2 ��� 5 ��m (MCNPOR 5334); 121.9��� 147 ��� 165.6 / 2.3��� 4. 7 ��� 6.9 ��m (MCNPOR 5107); 89.7��� 132. 8 ��� 161 / 2.3��� 4. 8 ��� 5.8 ��m (MCNPOR 5016); 125��� 169. 3 ��� 190 / 2.5��� 4. 7 ��� 6.3 ��m (MCNPOR 5276); 105���136 ��� 157.5 / 3.8��� 4. 8 ��� 5 ��m (MCN�� POR 3845); 142.6��� 153. 5 ��� 163.3 / 3.5��� 5. 2 ��� 6.3 ��m (MCNPOR 4967); 115��� 133 ��� 149.5 / 3.5��� 5. 2 ��� 6.9 ��m (MCNPOR 4996); 131.1��� 141. 4 ��� 151.8 / 2.3��� 4. 2 ��� 4.6 ��m (MCNPOR 5000); 117.3��� 143. 1 ��� 156.4 / 2.3��� 4. 6 ��� 5.8 ��m (MCNPOR 4781); 115���145.5 ��� 182.5 / 1.3��� 4.4 ��� 7.5 ��m (MCNPOR 3814); 132.5���155.8 ��� 170 / 2.5���4.9 ��� 7.5 ��m (MCNPOR 3823); 120��� 154. 3 ��� 197.5 / 2.5��� 4. 2 ��� 5 ��m (MCNPOR 3791). Remarks. Well��known species in the Caribbean region and adjacent areas; often it is characterized by its hard consistency and also by the presence of Parazoanthus on the surface; our samples do not possess a sticky surface, maybe due to substances released during preservation. According to Zea (in litt.), the samples studied here are very similar to the material that he studied, collected by Collette & R��tzler (1977) and previously identified as Xestospongia sp. (now placed in the genus Neopetrosia). Distribution. Caribbean: Puerto Rico to Colombia (Zea, 1987; Van Soest & Stentoft, 1988; Lehnert & Van Soest, 1996). Brazilian coast: off the mouth of Amazon River (Collette & R��tzler, 1977); Maranh��o State (present study)., Published as part of Campos, Maur��cio, Mothes, Beatriz, Eckert, Rafael, Van, Rob W. M. & Soest, 2005, Haplosclerida (Porifera: Demospongiae) from the coast of Maranh��o State, Brazil, Southwestern Atlantic, pp. 1-22 in Zootaxa 963 on pages 13-15, DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.171251, {"references":["Duchassaing De Fonbressin, P. & Michelotti, G. (1864) Spongiaires de la mer Caraibe. Natuurkundige verhandelingen van de Hollandsche maatschappij der wetenschappen te Haarlem, 21 (3), 1 - 124.","Laubenfels, M. W. de. (1934) New sponges from the Puerto Rican deep. Smithsonian Miscellaneous Collection, 91 (17), 1 - 28.","Collette, B. & Rutzler, K. (1977) Reef fishes over sponge bottoms off the mouth of the Amazon River. Proceedings of the Third International Coral Reef Symposium, Miami, pp. 305 - 310.","Soest, R. W. M. Van; Stone, S. M.; Boury-Esnault, N. & Rutzler, K. (1983) Catalogue of the Duchassaing & Michelotti (1864) collection of West Indian Sponges (Porifera). Bulletin Zoologisch Museum, 9 (21), 189 - 205.","Zea, S. (1987) Esponjas del Caribe Colombiano. Catalogo Cientifico, Bogota, 286 pp.","Soest, R. W. M. Van & Stentoft, N. (1988) Barbados deep water sponges. Studies on the Fauna of Curacao and other Caribbean Islands, 70, 1 - 175.","Lehnert, H. & Soest, R. W. M. Van. (1996) North Jamaican deep fore-reef sponges. Beaufortia, 46 (4), 53 - 81."]}

Four submersible dives off the coast of Bonaire (Caribbean Netherlands) and Klein Curacao (Curacao) to depths of 99.5–242 m, covering lower mesophotic and upper dysphotic zones, yielded 52 sponge specimens belonging to 31 species. Among these we identified 13 species as new to science. These are Plakinastrella stinapa n. sp., Pachastrella pacoi n. sp., Characella pachastrelloides n. sp., Geodia curacaoensis n. sp., Caminus carmabi n. sp., Discodermia adhaerens n. sp., Clathria (Microciona) acarnoides n. sp., Antho (Acarnia) pellita n. sp., Parahigginsia strongylifera n. sp., Calyx magnoculata n. sp., Neopetrosia dutchi n. sp., Neopetrosia ovata n. sp. and Neopetrosia eurystomata n. sp. We also report an euretid hexactinellid, which belongs to the rare genus Verrucocoeloidea, recently described (2014) as V. liberatorii Reiswig & Dohrmann. The remaining 18 already known species are all illustrated by photos of the habit, either in situ or ‘on deck’, but only briefly characterized in an annotated table to confirm their occurrence in the Southern Caribbean. The habitat investigated—steep limestone rocks, likely representing Pleistocene fossil reefs—is similar to deep-water fossil reefs at Barbados of which the sponges were sampled and studied by Van Soest and Stentoft (1988). A comparison is made between the two localities, showing a high degree of similarity in sponge composition: 53% of the present Bonaire-Klein Curacao species were also retrieved at Barbados. At the level of higher taxa (genera, families) Bonaire-Klein Curacao shared approximately 80% of its lower mesophotic and upper dysphotic sponge fauna with Barbados, despite a distance between them of 1000 km, indicating high faunal homogeneity. We also preliminarily compared the shallow-water (euphotic) sponge fauna of Curacao with the combined data available for the Barbados, Bonaire and Klein Curacao mesophotic and upper dysphotic sponges, which resulted in the conclusion that the two faunas show only little overlap.