Taxonomy of some Indian and Pacific oceans Corticium, with the description of three new species from Western Australia (Porifera: Homosclerophorida).

The sponge genus Corticium has important evolutionary significance and great pharmacological potential, but its diversity remains poorly known. In this contribution we redescribe two poorly-known Indian and Pacific oceans species, viz., Corticium simplex and C.

New cave-dwelling Plakina (Plakinidae, Homoscleromorpha, Porifera) from Martinique Island (French Antilles).

Knowledge of homoscleromorph sponge biodiversity has greatly improved during the last decade thanks to the increasing use of integrative taxonomy and extensive exploration of remote ecosystems. Indeed, recently described species have mostly been small sponges living in dark and near-impenetrable habitats. This work integrates morphological, cytological, ecological and molecular data to describe a new species belonging to the Plakina genus.

A new cave-dwelling species of Plakina (Porifera: Homoscleromorpha) from Crete, Greece (South Aegean Sea).

Recent studies showed a high diversity of the class Homoscleromorpha (Porifera) in the North Aegean Sea. In the South Aegean Sea, however, only one species of the homoscleromorph genus Plakina, P. weinbergi, was reported so far.

New sciaphilic plakinids (Porifera, Homoscleromorpha) from the Central-Western Pacific.

The sponge class Homoscleromorpha is a key model for the evolutionary biology of the Metazoa but its diversity remains poorly known. Here we describe six new species of the homoscleromorph family Plakinidae found in shaded habitats (submarine caves, tunnels and overhangs) of New Caledonia and Marquesas Islands, Central-Western Pacific. The new species belong to four genera: Corticium (Corticium vaceleti sp.

Two new species of Halichondrida (Demospongiae) and the first record of Phycopsis and Ciocalapata for Brazil.

Two new species of the genera Phycopsis and Ciocalapata are described from the shallow waters off the Brazilian coast. This is the first record of Phycopsis in South Atlantic, with Phycopsis styloxeata sp. nov.