A new species of Ciocalypta Bowerbank, 1862 (Demospongiae, Suberitida, Halichondriidae) from Northeastern Brazil

Ciocalypta Bowerbank, 1862 are characterized by semitransparent, finger-shaped fistules emerging from a basal mass, possessing a central spicular axis with strong secondary tracts supporting the ectosome. Spicules may be styles, oxeas or both (Erpenbeck & Van Soest 2002). The genus comprises 29 valid species, with eight known for the Atlantic Ocean (De Voogd et al. 2024), but so far, only Ciocalypta alba Carvalho, Carraro, Lerner & Hajdu, 2003 has been recorded for southern Brazil (Carvalho et al., 2003; Pinheiro et al., 2024). Herein, we described a new species of Ciocalypta and a new record for this genus from northeastern Brazil, collected in shallow waters at Piaui State coast. Taxonomic identification was carried out through analysis of spicule morphology, using Light Microscope (LM) and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), following methods described by Hajdu et al. (2011). The material examined was compared with the descriptions and/or characterizations of all Ciocalypta valid species (Arroyo et al., 2020: 435-437) and species described later. All specimens were preserved in 92% ethanol and deposited in the Porifera Collection at Universidade Federal de Pernambuco (UFPEPOR).