Three new Raspailiidae Hentschel, 1923 (Axinellida, Demospongiae) from Peru.

Currently 26 sponge species are known for the Peruvian coast, but so far no raspailiids had been recorded from this region. Raspailiidae are distributed worldwide and its species are characterized by encrusting, massive, lobate, fan-shaped or branching growth forms, usually with a very hispid surface. In the present study, three new species of Raspailiidae are described from the Peruvian coast.

New records of Endectyon (Endectyon) xerampelina (Lamarck, 1814 (Demospongiae: Axinellida: Raspailiidae) from the Tropical Western Atlantic Ocean, with comments on its distribution and type locality.

The demosponge genus Endectyon is characterized by the presence of acanthostyles with recurved or clavulate spines. Two subgenera are recognized, Endectyon and Hemectyon, distinguished mainly by the acanthostyles being located only in the periphery of the axial skeleton in Endectyon, or forming the ectosomal brushes in Hemectyon. Sixteen species are known worldwide, of which only two were reported from the Western Atlantic Ocean.

Two new Schmidt, 1870 (Axinellidae; Demospongiae; Porifera) from Brazil.

The genus Auletta Schmidt, 1970 comprises 14 valid species, with six known from the Atlantic Ocean. The genus was previously recorded for the Brazilian coast only in 1967 from surveys in Pernambuco State. The present paper describes two new Auletta from Northeastern Brazil.