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Halenaquinone was isolated from the marine sponge Petrosia alfiani as an inhibitor of osteoclastogenic differentiation of murine RAW264 cells. It inhibited the RANKL (receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand)-induced upregulation of TRAP (tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase) activity as well as the formation of multinuclear osteoclasts. In addition, halenaquinone substantially suppressed RANKL-induced IκB degradation and Akt phosphorylation. Thus, these results suggest that halenaquinone inhibits RANKL-induced osteoclastogenesis at least by suppressing the NF-κB and Akt signaling pathways.

Sponges (phylum Porifera) are important members of almost all aquatic ecosystems, and are renowned for hosting often dense and diverse microbial communities. While the specificity of the sponge microbiota seems to be closely related to host phylogeny, the environmental factors that could shape differences within local sponge-specific communities remain less understood. On tropical coral reefs, sponge habitats can span from shallow areas to deeper, mesophotic sites. These habitats differ in terms of environmental factors such as light, temperature, and food availability, as well as anthropogenic impact. In order to study the host specificity and potential influence of varying habitats on the sponge microbiota within a local area, four tropical reef sponges, Rhabdastrella globostellata, Callyspongia sp., Rhaphoxya sp., and Acanthella cavernosa, were collected from exposed shallow reef slopes and a deep reef drop-off. Based on 16S rRNA gene pyrosequencing profiles, beta diversity analyses revealed that each sponge species possessed a specific microbiota that was significantly different to those of the other species and exhibited attributes that are characteristic of high- and/or lowmicrobial- abundance sponges. These findings emphasize the influence of host identity on the associated microbiota. Dominant sponge- and seawater-associated bacterial phyla were Chloroflexi, Cyanobacteria, and Proteobacteria. Comparison of individual sponge taxa and seawater samples between shallow and deep reef sites revealed no significant variation in alpha diversity estimates, while differences in microbial beta diversity (variation in community composition) were significant for Callyspongia sp. sponges and seawater samples. Overall, the sponge-associated microbiota is significantly shaped by host identity across all samples, while the effect of habitat differentiation seems to be less predominant in tropical reef sponges.

The formation of foam cells in macrophages has been suggested to play an essential role in the progression of early atherosclerotic lesions in vivo and, thus, its suppression is considered to be one of the major approaches for the treatment of atherosclerosis. We isolated eight brominated-tyrosine derivatives, bastadins, from the EtOH extract of the marine sponge Ianthella vasta as inhibitors of the formation of foam cells induced by acetylated low-density lipoproteins in human monocyte-derived macrophages. Bastadin 6 was the strongest inhibitor of foam cell formation due to its suppression of acyl-coenzyme A:cholesterol acyltransferase.

USP7, a deubiquitylating enzyme hydrolyzing the isopeptide bond at the C-terminus of ubiquitin, is an emerging cancer target. We isolated spongiacidin C from the marine sponge Stylissa massa as the first USP7 inhibitor from a natural source. This compound inhibited USP7 most strongly with an IC50 of 3.8 μM among several USP family members tested.

Spironaamidine ( 1 ), a unique spiroquinone-containing alkaloid, was isolated from the marine sponge, Leucetta microraphis , along with two known imidazole alkaloids, naamidine H ( 2 ) and (9 E )-clathridine 9- N -(2-sulfoethyl)imine ( 3 ). Spironaamidine ( 1 ) showed antimicrobial activity against Bacillus cereus .

Two new β-carboline alkaloids, variabines A (1) and B (2), were isolated from the Indonesian marine sponge Luffariella variabilis. Their structures were elucidated from spectral data, and 1 was found to be a sulfonated derivative of 2. Although numerous β-carboline alkaloids have been isolated from natural sources to date, 1 is the first β-carboline derivative containing a sulfate group. Compound 2 inhibited chymotrypsin-like activity of the proteasome and Ubc13 (E2)–Uev1A interaction with IC50 values of 4 and 5 μg/mL, respectively, whereas 1 had little effect on the activity or interaction.

Genus Esperiopsis Carter, 1882 Remarks Currently, there are 33 species assigned to this genus (Van Soest et al. 2012). Possibly, some of the species may need to be transferred to other genera because of the interpretation of the morphological structure of the chelae (e.g. E. flava L��vi, 1993 and similar species with deformed chelae, which cannot be identified with certainty as palmate), others would have to be returned to Amphilectus if the style size difference would be no longer a valid discriminatory character of the two genera. Future studies using additional datasets (such as molecular sequences) are needed to clarify the status of Esperiopsis., Published as part of Van Soest, Rob W. M., Beglinger, Elly J. & de Voogd, Nicole J., 2012, Sponges of the family Esperiopsidae (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida) from Northwest Africa, with the descriptions of four new species, pp. 1-21 in European Journal of Taxonomy 18 on page 11, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2012.18, http://zenodo.org/record/3857876

Amphilectus strepsichelifer sp. nov. Fig. 4 Etymology The name is a combination of strepsis (L.) = twisted, and chelifer (L.) = bearing chelae, reflecting the twisted condition of the chelae. Material examined Holotype ZMA Por. 07564, Cape Verde Islands, W of S��o Vicente, Canal de S��o Vicente, depth 348-354 m, coll. R. W.M. Van Soest, CANCAP 7 Expedition stat. 172/03, 16.8833��N 25.1167��W, rectangular dredge, 7 Sep. 1986. Description Pedunculate sponge (Fig. 4A), with long thin smooth stalk and abruptly attached small ovate main body. Main body flattened, but solid (not hollow). Upper surface somewhat rectangular, caused by preparation damage. Surface irregular, shaggy. Colour light brown alive, grey in alcohol. Size of main body 12 x 6 mm, stalk 35 mm long, 1.2 mm thick. SKELETON. Of main body plumose, rather than plumoreticulate, with diffuse spicule bundles directed at right angles to the surface (Fig. 4B), where they form loose brushes. Connecting spicules few and arranged irregularly. Chelae in loose groups in a subectosomal layer at the base of the surface brushes (Fig. 4C). Few chelae in the interior. SPICULES. (Fig. 4 D-E) Styles, palmate isochelae. STYLES. (Fig. 4D, D 1) Thin, slightly curved, 396- 430.5 -462 x 3- 4.6 - 7 ��m. PALMATE ISOCHELAE. (Fig. 4E) Predominantly with ���twisted��� shaft, causing the alae of opposite ends to face different angles, a minority of the chelae appearing ���normal��� but these are of the same size as the twisted ones, and upon closer examination appear to be slightly twisted as well, 32- 33.7 - 36 ��m. Distribution and ecology Known only from the type locality between the islands of S��o Vicente and Santo Ant��o, Cape Verde Islands (Fig. 1, loc. 4), hard bottom, at depths below 300 m. Remarks The species is assigned to Amphilectus on the same basis as A. utriculus sp. nov. The species stands out among stalked Amphilectus species (see above in the remarks on A. utriculus sp. nov.) by the peculiar twisted condition of the palmate isochelae. Additionally the thin stalk carrying the main body without a clear intermediate zone is characteristic and not found in the other North Atlantic Amphilectus species., Published as part of Van Soest, Rob W. M., Beglinger, Elly J. & de Voogd, Nicole J., 2012, Sponges of the family Esperiopsidae (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida) from Northwest Africa, with the descriptions of four new species, pp. 1-21 in European Journal of Taxonomy 18 on pages 7-9, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2012.18, http://zenodo.org/record/3857876

Ulosa capblancensis sp. nov. Fig. 8 Etymology Named after the type locality, Cap Blanc. Material examined Holotype ZMA Por. 09959, Mauritania, off Cap Blanc, depth 11-35 m, coll. F.P. Vermeulen, 20.7°N 17.1667°W, 1906. Description Erect branches issue from a basal mass (Fig. 8A), which was presumable buried in the sandy substrate. Individual branches 8 mm diameter at the base tapering to blunt endings of 2 to 4 mm diameter. Individual branches up to 10 cm long. Basal mass (Fig. 8A 1) 3-6 cm thick, 4-5 cm in lateral expansion. Surface of basal mass and branches roughly conulose and porose, consistency rather firm, but soft to the touch. No apparent oscules. Possibly the specimen is somewhat macerated. COLOUR. Brownish red in alcohol, live colour unknown. SKELETON. (Fig. 8B) Forms a spongin-rich irregular reticulation with longitudinal meshes. Emphasis of the skeleton is on ascending fibres, which are cored by 2-9 spicules, whereas cross connections are predominantly cored by single spicules at widely differing angles, occasionally two or more spicules are in the connecting spongin-fibres but then these are not aligned. Meshes average 500 µm in length, distance between longitudinal fibres is 200-400 µm, fibres have a thickness of 100-220 µm depending not only on the amount of coring but also on spongin development. SPICULES. Robust styles only. STYLES (FIG. 8C, C 1) straight or slightly curved, isodiametrical over much of their length with sharply pointed endings, 648- 725.9 -843 x 18- 22.1 - 26 µm. Distribution and ecology Mauritania, on sandy platform off Cap Blanc, 10-35 m (Fig. 1, loc. 1). Remarks The growth form of the new species is similar in most respects to Ulosa stuposa, which was found in the same habitat. It is likely that colours differ (yellow-orange in typical U. stuposa, possibly red or redbrown in U. capblancensis sp. nov.). However, the major distinguishing features are (1) the structure of the skeleton, with weakly developed connecting fibres and thick irregular spongin-encased ascending spicule tracts, and (2) the relatively long and thick styles, on average twice or thrice as long and thick as those of U. stuposa (725 vs. 160 µm). The present species might easily be confused with a local species of Dictyonella Schmidt, 1868 [possibly identical or close to Dictyonella pelligera (Schmidt, 1864)], which shares possession of erect branches and long thick styles with U. capblancensis sp. nov. Differences are pointed surface projections, the plumose arrangement of the spicules, and the characteristic abundance of cells with refractile granules (see Rütlzer et al. 2003) of the Dictyonella species.

Esperiopsis cimensis sp. nov. Fig. 6 Etymology Named after the type locality, Ilheu de Cima. Material examined Holotype ZMA Por. 07282, Cape Verde Islands, SW of Ilheu Rombos, SE of Ilheu de Cima, depth 165 m, hard bottom with yellow calcareous sand, coll. R. W.M. Van Soest, CANCAP 7 Expedition stat. 030/05, 14.95��N 24.65��W, Van Veen grab, 23 Aug. 1986. Description Thinly encrusting on a large volcanic stone (Fig. 6A, arrow), alongside a specimen of Aplysilla Schulze, 1878. Size of crust 3.5 x 2 cm, thickness 1-2 mm. Colour: yellow alive, beige in alcohol. Surface optically smooth. Consistency soft. SKELETON. (Fig. 6B) Plumose, with strongly developed spicule bundles traversing the sponge at right angles to the surface, where they fan out. Few if any connecting spicules. No special ectosomal skeleton. There is a ���groundmass��� of microscleres crowding the space between the spicule bundles and adhering to it, mostly consisting of sigmas and small isochelae. Scattered larger chelae, rather rare, mostly occurring at the surface. SPICULES. (Fig. 6 C-E) Styles, sigmas, palmate isochelae. STYLES. (Fig. 6C, C 1) Long and thin, straight or slightly curved, 396- 431.4 -461 x 5- 6.4- 8 ��m. SIGMAS. (Fig. 6D) In two distinct non-overlapping size categories, both thin and strongly curved: (I) 76- 85.8 - 96 ��m (Fig. 6D 1), and (II) 36- 45.4 - 56 ��m (Fig. 6D 2). PALMATE ISOCHELAE. (Fig. 6E) In two distinct, non-overlapping size categories, the larger (I) ���normal��� in shape (Fig. 6E 1), 56- 69.4 - 84 ��m, the smaller (II) with incurved median alae (Fig. 6E 2), 14- 16.9 - 21 ��m. Distribution and ecology Only known from the type locality S of Ilheu de Cima, Cape Verde Islands (Fig. 1, loc. 5), on volcanic bottom with yellow sand, at 165 m depth. Remarks The new species appears to be a member of a group of morphologically similar North Atlantic deep-water species (see Table 1), sharing the encrusting habit, the size and shape of megascleres and two categories of both sigmas and chelae. Probably closest is Esperiopsis flagellum Lundbeck, 1905 from off SE Iceland. Clear differences exist in the shape of one of the sigma categories, as these of E. flagellum are ���flagellate��� (excessively incurved). The sigmas are also larger in size, up to 250 ��m in E. flagellum, whereas they are up to 400 ��m in the similar species E. macrosigma Stephens, 1916 from waters west of Ireland. E. praedita Topsent, 1890 from the Azores is also close, but the larger chelae category is smaller than in our new species, and the sigmas can be as large as 200 ��m. A less similar sponge is E. decora Topsent, 1904 from the Azores, sharing the overall spiculation, but having even larger (flagellate) sigmas, and in addition possessing trichodragmas and three instead of two size categories of chelae. Other Esperiopsis species described from the North Atlantic appear more distant: E. incognita Stephens, 1916 from Irish waters has smaller chelae and larger sigmas. E. strongylata (Alander, 1942) from the Skagerrak and E. strongylophora Vacelet, 1969 from the Western Mediterranean have strongylote megascleres instead of styles. The two remaining, more elaborately shaped, North East Atlantic Esperiopsis species also show differences in spicule sizes and categories: variably massive or ramose E. polymorpha Topsent, 1890 from the Azores has smaller chelae in a single category and smaller sigmas. Massive-erect or leafshaped E. villosa (Carter, 1874) has the size of the largest sigmas and chelae clearly in excess of those of our new species. Esperiopsis schmidti Arnesen, 1903 from Norwegian waters and Esperiopsis glomeris Topsent, 1904 have been assigned to the myxilline genus Echinostylinos Topsent, 1927 by Van Soest & Hajdu (2002a) on account of their possession of tridentate isochelae. Esperiopsis typichela Lundbeck, 1905 and Esperiopsis pedicellata Lundbeck, 1905 have been transferred to Amphilectus by Van Soest et al. (2012) as they do not possess sigmas. Esperiopsis lesliei Uriz, 1988 and Esperiopsis rugosus sensu Uriz (1988) both from Namibia, likewise do not have sigmas and belong to Amphilectus., Published as part of Van Soest, Rob W. M., Beglinger, Elly J. & de Voogd, Nicole J., 2012, Sponges of the family Esperiopsidae (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida) from Northwest Africa, with the descriptions of four new species, pp. 1-21 in European Journal of Taxonomy 18 on pages 11-13, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2012.18, http://zenodo.org/record/3857876, {"references":["Van Soest R. W. M. & Hajdu E. 2002 a. Family Phellodermidae fam. nov. In: Hooper J. N. A. & Van Soest R. W. M. (eds) Systema Porifera. A guide to the classification of sponges: 621 - 624 .. Kluwer Academic / Plenum Publishers, New York.","Uriz M. J. 1988. Deep-water sponges from the continental shelf and slope off Namibia (Southwest Africa): Classes Hexactinellida and Demospongia. Monografias de Zoologia Marina 3: 9 - 157."]}

Genus Ulosa de Laubenfels, 1936 Remarks The genus Ulosa is not well-established, with approximately 15 disjunctly occurring species (South Australia, North East Atlantic and Mediterranean, Indonesia, Central Pacific, and Brazil, see Van Soest et al. 2012). About half the number of species are only known from old dried types and/or are inadequately characterized. With the simple morphological features the genus remains to be established as a monophyletic group, and indeed as a member of the suborder Poecilosclerida, as the implied assumption of secondarily lost chelae lacks firm evidence. In fact, a recent study of 28S gene sequences of a large group of demosponges including poecilosclerid, hadromerid and halichondrid sponges (Morrow et al. 2012) indicated that at least one species of the genus Ulosa could be a member of the family Halichondriidae Gray, 1867. Here we will retain the genus as a member of Esperiopsidae until sequences of the type species of Ulosa will be obtained., Published as part of Van Soest, Rob W. M., Beglinger, Elly J. & de Voogd, Nicole J., 2012, Sponges of the family Esperiopsidae (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida) from Northwest Africa, with the descriptions of four new species, pp. 1-21 in European Journal of Taxonomy 18 on page 14, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2012.18, http://zenodo.org/record/3857876, {"references":["Morrow C., Picton B. E., Erpenbeck D., Boury-Esnault N., Maggs C. A. & Allcock A. L. 2012. Congruence between nuclear and mitochondrial genes in Demospongiae: A new hypoythesis for relationships within the G 4 clade (Porifera: Demospongiae). Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 62 (1): 174 - 190. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.1016 / j. ympev. 2011.09.016"]}

Ulosa stuposa (Esper, 1794) Fig. 7 For synonymy, see Van Soest 1987. Material examined ZMA Por. 06567, Mauritania, off Cap Blanc, depth 15 m, bottom muddy, coll. R.W.M. Van Soest & J.J. Vermeulen, Mauritania II Exped. Stat. 006/01, 20.8167��N 17.0167��W, 1.2 m Agassiz trawl, 7 Jun. 1988. ZMA Por. 06705, Mauritania, SW of Cap Timiris, depth 12-18 m, bottom sand overlying limestone ridge, coll. R.W.M. Van Soest & J.J. Vermeulen, Mauritania II Exped. Stat. 049/18, 19.0833��N 16.4167��W, rectangular dredge, 11 Jun. 1988. ZMA Por. 06714, Mauritania, SW of Cap Timiris, bottom muddy sand, depth 30 m, coll. R.W.M. Van Soest & J.J. Vermeulen, Mauritania II Exped. Stat. 053/05, 19.0833��N 16.4667��W, 2.4 m Agassiz trawl, 11 Jun. 1988. ZMA Por. 06766, Mauritania, off Banc d���Arguin, bottom muddy sand, depth 48-52 m, coll. R.W.M. Van Soest & J.J. Vermeulen, Mauritania II Exped. Stat. 072/06, 20.0��N 17.4��W, 3.5 m Agassiz trawl, 13 Jun. 1988. ZMA Por. 06859, Mauritania, off Banc d���Arguin, bottom muddy sand, depth 50 m, coll. R.W.M. Van Soest & J.J. Vermeulen, Mauritania II Exped. Stat. 137/01, 20.7167��N 17.35��W, 2.4 m Agassiz trawl, 21 Jun. 1988. Examined for comparison ZMA Por. 09932, Portugal, Algarve, E of Sagres, 37.0��N 8.9333��W, growing on Cystoseira alga, coll. J.H. Stock, 14 Aug. 1976. ZMA Por. 16490, France, Bretagne, Roscoff, Le Taureau, depth 25 m, 48.6633��N 3.8833��W, coll. M.J. de Kluijver, Jul. 1992. Ulosa digitata sensu Burton 1956, slide made from a specimen in the collections of the Zoological Museum of Copenhagen collected by the Atlantide Expedition Stat. 147, 09.4333��N 14.9667��W, depth 45 m, bottom shells and forams, 14 Apr. 1946. Description Long branches (Fig. 7A) issuing from a basal mass (presumably buried in the sand), dividing sparingly, surface irregularly conulose. Length of branches up to 10 cm, diameter 0.5-1.5 cm. Consistency soft, easily damaged. COLOUR. Variously reported as yellow, light brown, brown, blue-green or greyish. SKELETON. (Fig. 7B) A rectangular reticulation of thick spicule tracts, cemented by only little spongin, which is usually not visible. Tracts divisible in slightly thicker longitudinals of 35-100 ��m thickness with a core of up to 15 spicules, and thinner interconnecting tracts of 30-60 ��m thickness with a core of 2-10 spicules. Meshes formed by the tracts of widely divergent sizes 200-750 ��m. Loose spicules are observed among the tracts, but these are absent or rare in many specimens, which appear to be ���macerated���, possibly due to loss of tissue during alcohol preservation. SPICULES. (Fig. 7C, C 1) Styles only (no oxeote modifications were observed), sharply pointed, tending to be thicker in the middle than at the rounded end (���fusiform���), occasionally faintly ���centrotylote���, of rather variable size in the various specimens, but with limited variation within a specimen, 123- 161.2 - 192 x 4- 7.6 - 11 ��m. Distribution and ecology Mauritania, Cap Blanc, Banc d���Arguin and Cap Timiris, in sandy substrate at 12-52 m (Fig. 1, locs. 1-3). Elsewhere, widespread from the British Isles southward, Mediterranean, Lusitanian region, Atlantic islands; southernmost record Gulf of Guinea (see below). Remarks The West African material shows a range of growth forms including massively encrusting and branchingerect, in accordance with the variability elsewhere. Colours in Mauritanian specimens appear duller (mostly brownish) than in Western European material (cf. Van Soest et al. 2000) and spicule thickness on average appears greater than in northern specimens: in two specimens from Western France (ZMA Por. 16490) and Portugal (ZMA Por. 09932), examined for comparison, spicules measured 140-165 x 2-6 ��m. Nevertheless, there is overlap in these characters and conspecificity seems likely. Burton (1956) reported this species (as U. digitata) from Conakry, Guinea (9.4667��N 14.9667��W). It was described as forming a bush with branches 5-6 cm long and 0.5 cm thick. The skeleton is similar to Western European specimens and spicules conform as well (130-145 x 3-5 ��m). Apparently, the distribution of U. stuposa extends over much of the coastal waters of the Northeast Atlantic. A littoral species from Faial, Azores, Ulosa jullieni (Topsent, 1892) (1892: 137, pl. I, fig. 12, as Stylinos), has similar skeleton with slightly smaller spicules (120-130 ��m), but differs from U. stuposa primarily in growth form and surface (thickly encrusting with smooth surface and slightly elevated oscules). It is also recorded here from the piles of the pier of Villa Baleira, Porto Santo, 33.0562��N 16.334��W (ZMA Por. 21503, coll. R.W.M. Van Soest, 30 June 1990)., Published as part of Van Soest, Rob W. M., Beglinger, Elly J. & de Voogd, Nicole J., 2012, Sponges of the family Esperiopsidae (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida) from Northwest Africa, with the descriptions of four new species, pp. 1-21 in European Journal of Taxonomy 18 on pages 14-16, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2012.18, http://zenodo.org/record/3857876, {"references":["Van Soest R. W. M. 1987. Biogeographic and taxonomic notes on some Eastern Atlantic sponges. In: Jones W. C. (ed.) European Contributions to the Taxonomy of Sponges: 13 - 28. Sherkin Island Marine Station, Sherkin Island, County Cork.","Burton M. 1956. The sponges of West Africa. Atlantide Report: scientific Results of the Danish Expedition to the Coasts of Tropical West Africa, 1945 - 1946 4: 111 - 147.","Van Soest R. W. M., Picton B. E. & Morrow C. 2000. Sponges of the North East Atlantic. In: World Biodiversity Database CD-ROM Series, Windows / Mac version 1.0. ETI Bioinformatics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam."]}

Family Esperiopsidae Hentschel, 1923 Remarks Below we assign West African species to esperiopsid genera in accordance with the account of the family by Van Soest & Hajdu (2002b). Species with only a single chela size, and no other microscleres are assigned to Amphilectus. The species with sigmas included is assigned to Esperiopsis. Species without microscleres are assigned to Ulosa., Published as part of Van Soest, Rob W. M., Beglinger, Elly J. & de Voogd, Nicole J., 2012, Sponges of the family Esperiopsidae (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida) from Northwest Africa, with the descriptions of four new species, pp. 1-21 in European Journal of Taxonomy 18 on page 3, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2012.18, http://zenodo.org/record/3857876, {"references":["Hentschel E. 1923. Erste Unterabteilung der Metazoa: Parazoa, Porifera-Schwamme. In: Kukenthal W. & Krumbach T. (eds) Handbuch der Zoologie. Eine Naturgeschichteder Stamme des Tierreiches. Vol. 1: Protozoa, Porifera, Coelenterata, Mesozoa: 307 - 418, figs 288 - 377. Walter de Gruyter und Co, Berlin and Leipzig.","Van Soest R. W. M. & Hajdu E. 2002 b. Family Esperiopsidae Hentschel, 1923. In: Hooper J. N. A. & Van Soest R. W. M. (eds) Systema Porifera. A guide to the classification of sponges: 656 - 664 .. Kluwer Academic / Plenum Publishers, New York."]}

Genus Amphilectus Vosmaer, 1880 Remarks Amphilectus differs from the closely related genus Esperiopsis in the lack of additional microscleres and the generally smaller size of the styles. The difference in the latter character was fixed on 400 ��m (Van Soest & Hajdu 2002b), but this is to be interpreted loosely, as several species in both genera possess styles with lengths just under or above 400 ��m. The genus to date contains 17 species (Van Soest et al. 2012), predominantly from temperate and cold water, evenly spread over the North Atlantic (five species), North Pacific (three species), South Atlantic (six species), and South Pacific waters (three species). The Atlantic species are summarized in Table 1., Published as part of Van Soest, Rob W. M., Beglinger, Elly J. & de Voogd, Nicole J., 2012, Sponges of the family Esperiopsidae (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida) from Northwest Africa, with the descriptions of four new species, pp. 1-21 in European Journal of Taxonomy 18 on page 3, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2012.18, http://zenodo.org/record/3857876, {"references":["Van Soest R. W. M. & Hajdu E. 2002 b. Family Esperiopsidae Hentschel, 1923. In: Hooper J. N. A. & Van Soest R. W. M. (eds) Systema Porifera. A guide to the classification of sponges: 656 - 664 .. Kluwer Academic / Plenum Publishers, New York."]}

Amphilectus cf. fucorum (Esper, 1794) Fig. 5 For synonymy, see Van Soest & Hajdu 2002b: 657. Material examined ZMA Por. 06775, Mauritania, off Banc d���Arguin, depth 100 m, bottom muddy sand, coll. R.W.M. Van Soest & J.J. Vermeulen, Mauritania II Exped. Stat. 072/14, 20.0��N 17.3��W, 2.4 m Agassiz trawl, 13 Jun. 1988. ZMA Por. 06796, Mauritania, off Banc d���Arguin, depth 48-52 m, bottom muddy sand with some calcareous gravel, coll. R.W.M. Van Soest & J.J. Vermeulen, Mauritania II Exped. Stat. 082/19, 19.9833��N 17.5��W, 3.5 m Agassiz trawl, 14 Jun. 1988. ZMA Por. 06843, Mauritania, off Banc d���Arguin, depth 95-100 m, bottom muddy sand with shells, coll. R.W.M. Van Soest & J.J. Vermeulen, Mauritania II Exped. Stat. 130/09, 20.4167��N 17.6667��W, 3.5 m Agassiz trawl, 20 Jun. 1988. Description The material consists of several fragments of encrusting to irregularly ramose sponges (Fig. 5A). Consistency, soft irregular surface, colour brownish alive and beige to whitish in alcohol. Size of individual fragments 2-3 cm. SKELETON. Irregularly plumoreticulate (Fig. 5B), with loosely defined spicule bundles connected by individual spicules, general aspect rather confused. Spicules barely protruding beyond the surface. Chelae clustered and singly occurring throughout the interior. SPICULES. Styles, palmate isochelae. STYLES. (Fig. 5C, C 1) Straight or slightly curved, relatively short and robust, 198- 237.6- 276 x 9- 11.4 - 14 ��m. PALMATE ISOCHELAE. (Fig. 5D) Of ���normal��� shape, but like in A. utriculus sp. nov., the shaft is slightly incurved. 19- 23.6 - 27 ��m. Distribution and ecology Mauritania, off Banc d���Arguin (Fig. 1, loc. 2), on muddy bottom below 50 m. Elsewhere, if identification is correct, along most of the coasts of Europe, including the Western Mediterranean. This is the southernmost record of the species if Southern Ocean records (see below) are considered not conspecific. Remarks By assigning these specimens to A. fucorum, the range of this species, which was already huge, is further extended along the East Atlantic coasts. The species is common and distinctly orange-coloured in shallow water habitats of the British Isles and the W coast of France, but according to Van Soest et al. (2000) deep-water specimens may loose their colour, and such specimens may be found down to 100 m. Skeleton and spicule characteristics of the present material fall within the recorded variation, although usually styles elsewhere are thinner than those of the Mauritanian specimens. Genetic comparisons may show diversity over the range of this species and such studies are needed to decide the specific identity of the Mauritanian populations. From the other Amphilectus species from the area described above, A. cf. fucorum differs in habit and chelae (A. utriculus sp. nov. has chelae twice the size, A. strepsichelifer sp. nov. has chelae with a twisted shaft). Amphilectus informis (Stephens, 1915) from the Atlantic coast of South Africa appears to be similar based on published data. According to the original description its chelae have an incurved shaft but apparently the frontal alae of the chelae are characteristic showing a ���tubercle in front view���. However, the illustration of this feature is indistinct. Samaai & Gibbons (2005) described the species also, but their illustrations do not clarify these alleged differences. Burton (1932, 1940) recorded A. fucorum from Tristan da Cunha, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and off the coast of Argentina. Thiele (1905) recorded it from Chile. Goodwin et al. (2011) described two new Amphilectus species from the Falkland Islands, which appear to cover the Burton and Thiele records. Bergquist & Fromont (1988) recorded the European species Esperiopsis normani (Bowerbank, 1866) and Esperiopsis edwardii (Bowerbank, 1866) from New Zealand waters, but both are now considered junior synonyms of Amphilectus fucorum. This is not to say that A. fucorum occurs in New Zealand, but merely that these records should be compared critically., Published as part of Van Soest, Rob W. M., Beglinger, Elly J. & de Voogd, Nicole J., 2012, Sponges of the family Esperiopsidae (Demospongiae, Poecilosclerida) from Northwest Africa, with the descriptions of four new species, pp. 1-21 in European Journal of Taxonomy 18 on pages 9-11, DOI: 10.5852/ejt.2012.18, http://zenodo.org/record/3857876, {"references":["Van Soest R. W. M. & Hajdu E. 2002 b. Family Esperiopsidae Hentschel, 1923. In: Hooper J. N. A. & Van Soest R. W. M. (eds) Systema Porifera. A guide to the classification of sponges: 656 - 664 .. Kluwer Academic / Plenum Publishers, New York.","Van Soest R. W. M., Picton B. E. & Morrow C. 2000. Sponges of the North East Atlantic. In: World Biodiversity Database CD-ROM Series, Windows / Mac version 1.0. ETI Bioinformatics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam.","Samaai T. & Gibbons M. 2005. Demospongiae taxonomy and biodiversity of the Benguela region on the west coast of South Africa. African Natural History 1: 1 - 96.","Burton M. 1932. Sponges. Discovery Reports 6: 237 - 392, pls. 48 - 57.","Burton M. 1940. Las Esponjas marinas del Museo Argentino de Ciencias Naturales. (Parte 1). Anales del Museo argentino de ciencias naturales ' Bernardino Rivadavia' 40 (6): 95 - 121, pls. I-VIII.","Thiele J. 1905. Die Kiesel- und Hornschwamme der Sammlung Plate. Fauna Chiliensis III. Zoologische Jahrbucher Supplement 6: 407 - 496.","Goodwin C., Jones J., Neely K. & Brickle P. 2011. Sponge biodiversity of the Jason Islands and Stanley, Falkland Islands with descriptions of twelve new species. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom 91 (2): 275 - 301. http: // dx. doi. org / 10.1017 / S 0025315410001542","Bergquist P. R. & Fromont P. J. 1988. The Marine Fauna of New Zealand: Porifera, Demospongiae. Part. 4: Poecilosclerida. New Zealand Oceanographic Institute Memoir 96, New Zealand oceanographic institute, Wellington."]}