Aplysina Nardo (Porifera, Verongida, Aplysinidae) from the Brazilian coast with description of eight new species

Abstract

A revision of Brazilian Aplysina was conducted based on morphological study of species alive as well as preserved in the collections of Museu Nacional. In total, 190 specimens were studied in the lab. Identification was achieved by analysis of the external morphology, in combination with skeletal architecture and its components. Our analyses revealed marked within individual variation for most species in characters associated to the spongin fibres, suggesting a low diagnostic strength for this set of characters in Aplysina. External morphology, on the other hand, permitted clearcut diagnoses for most species. Fifteen species were identified and are fully described below. Eight of these are new to science. A neotype for A. fulva is proposed here. The amended list of Aplysina species for the Brazilian coast is: A. alcicornis sp.n., A. caissara, A. cauliformis, A. cristagallus sp.n, A. fistularis, A. fulva, A. insularis, A. lacunosa, A. lactuca sp.n., A. lingua sp.n., A. muricyana sp.n., A. orthoreticulata sp.n., A. pergamentacea, A. pseudolacunosa sp.n. and A. solangeae sp.n. A tentative identification key for these species is provided.