Taxonomy of Oceanapia Norman, 1869 (Demospongiae: Haplosclerida: Phloeodictyidae) from the Brazilian coast Neto, Carlos Santos Nascimento, Elielton Cavalcanti, Thaynã Pinheiro, Ulisses Zootaxa 2018 2018-08-02 4455 2 363 376 48BW9 Neto & Nascimento & Cavalcanti & Pinheiro, 2018 Neto & Nascimento & Cavalcanti & Pinheiro 2018 [151,371,1858,1884] Demospongiae Phloeodictyidae Oceanapia GBIF Animalia Haplosclerida 7 370 Porifera species magna sp. nov.     Typelocality: Brazil: Rio Grande do NorteState: Potiguar Basin.    Typespecimens: Holotype.UFPEPOR 1998 ( 04°44'53.7’’S 36°25’27.4’’W), Potiguar Basin,  Rio Grandedo   Norte State, Brazil, depth  108 m, trawl, coll. Petrobrás(  23/V/2011).  Paratypes.UFPEPOR 2266 and UFPEPOR 2285, collected at the typelocality.   Diagnosis.Semispherical sponge with large fistulae, large oxeas (125–408 / 2–14 µm) and sigmas (10–45 µm).  External morphology ( Fig. 5A–B).The holotypeconsists of a semispherical body of 30 cm(diameter). Despite its large size, part of the specimen remained in situat the time of collection, and it can be deduced that the size of the sponge was larger. On the upper side, there are numerous digitated fistulae of irregular shape, fragile and easily broken. Simple fistulae (0.7–6.5 x 0.5–1.8 cm, length x width) and fused fistulae (3.5–8.5 x 1.5–4 cm, length x width). Hispid and irregular surface covered by other sponges. Surface hard and firm, forming a cortex ( 0.5–2 cm, thickness). Colour brown when preserved (ethanol 80%), unknown in life.   Skeleton ( Fig. 5C–D).Ectosome organic, formed by a tangencial skeleton of single oxeas and debris, supported by a subdermal reticulation of criss-crossing spicule tracts (50– 94.6–133 µm, diameter, meshes 100– 372.2–633 µm, diameter). The choanosomal skeleton is an irregular network of multispicular tracts (83– 174.2–333 µm) forming irregular meshes (100– 410.1–1165 µm) and some ascending multispicular tracts. The fistulae have an ectosomal skeleton quite differentiated, formed by multispicular tracts and irregular meshes interconnected by single spicules.  Spicules ( Fig. 6).Oxeas (125– 218.3–408 / 2– 8.8–14 µm): smooth, straight and slightly curved, with variably shaped points (acerate, hastate and blunt) ( Fig. 6A –B). Sigmas (10– 18.2–45 µm): smooth, thin and rare, found in the sponge body, absent in the fistulae ( Fig. 6C).   Distribution and ecology.Known only from Potiguar Basin, Rio Grande do NorteState, Brazil, from a slope at 108 mdeep ( Fig. 1).   Etymology.Adjective derived from Latin  magnaand refers to the large size of the specimens.   Remarks.The most similar species are  O. atlantica,  O. carottaand  O. oleracea.  Oceanapia atlanticais amorphous, and its oxeas and sigmas are larger than the new species.  Oceanapia carottahas a spherical shape and its fistulae are not digitiform, and oxeas are smaller than found in  O. magna  sp. nov.( Tables 1–2).  Oceanapia oleraceahas a spherical shape with fistulae on the top, and its oxeas are smaller in length and width than the new species (see Tab 1). Compared to other species of  Oceanapiain the Atlantic Ocean,  Oceanapia magna  sp. nov.is distinguished from  O. bartschi,  O. hondurasensisand  O. niduliformisby the presence of strongyles.  Oceanapia magna  sp. nov.differs from  O. cordia  sp. nov.,  O. topsenti  nom. nov.,  O. aerea,  O. ascidia,  O. coriacea,  O. elongata,  O. fibulata,  O. isodictyiformis,  O. nodosa,  O. nodulosa,  O. peltata,  O. penicilliformis,  O. reticulataand O.  robustaby their absence of microscleres.  Oceanapia magna  sp. nov.differs from  O. cancapand  O. stalagmiticabecause they have toxas which are not found in the new species.  Oceanapia hetcheli  nom. nov.has as spicule complement oxeas and raphidiform oxeas, while  Oceanapia magna  sp. nov.has oxeas and sigmas. 1917075802 [151,889,1964,1989] Brazil Rio Grande do Norte 7 370 1 Rio Grande do Norte holotype 1917075787 [199,1436,2000,2025] -4.7482505 Potiguar Basin 1 -36.42428 Rio Grande 7 370 2 holotype 1917075734 2011-05-23 Petrobras Brazil 108 Norte State 8 371 2 paratype