New records for the Colombian Caribbean

Haliclona (Reniera) strongylophora^{Lehnert and van Soest, 1996} (Figure 3 A - D)

Haliclona strongylophora^{Lehnert and van Soest, 1996}: 73, figs 12, 25, 73.

Studied material: INV POR1687, Isla Fuerte, 78 m, col. Paola Flórez | Erika Montoya | Andrés Merchán | Manuel Garrido, 2012-07-30.

Description: amorphous, soft, brittle sponge 5 × 3 cm in diameter, approximately 0.3 cm thick, flat surface, no visible oscula, beige-colored in alcohol (Figure 3A). Skeleton: Ectosome: irregular reticulation of individual spicules and a considerable amount of sediment; choanosome: isotropic reticulation of four to six 41.5 - 27.0 - 14.5 µm spicules, with a mesh diameter of 129.3 - 87.1 - 44.5 µm (Figure 3D). Spicules: strongyles, 185.5 - 172.5 - 154.9 µm long × 6.7 - 5.1- 3.2 µm wide (Figure 3C), some of them in development stages, thinner and with conic or telescopic ends and, in some cases irregular swelling (Figure 3B).

Figure 3 Haliclona (Reniera) strongylophora. A. Fragment, B-C. Strongyles, D. Skeleton. 

Habitat: soft bottoms in mesophotic environments.

Distribution in the Caribbean: Discovery Bay, Jamaica (^{Lehnert and van Soest, 1996}), Colombian Caribbean.

Comments: This species differs from all other Halicona species described for the Caribbean (^{van Soest, 1980}; ^{De Weerdt et al., 1991}), since they have strongyles as the only type of spicule, as described by ^{Lehnert and van Soest, 1996}. Haliclona (Soestella) brassica Bispo and Pinheiro, 2014 has strongyles but also presents raphides in rare trichodragmata. Haliclona (Reniera) implexiformis (^{Hechtel, 1965}), H. (Re.) tubifera (^{George and Wilson, 1919}), H. (S.) caerulea (Hechtel, 1965) and H. (Halichoclona) albifragilis (Hechtel, 1965) possess oxeas with strongyloid modifications, but they never have strongyles exclusively.

Description: massive, irregular sponge, internally cavernous, dimensions: 6 cm wide × 4.5 cm long, corrugated surface, oscula 0.2 cm in diameter spread across the surface, soft consistency, easily compressed and crumbled, light brown-colored in alcohol (Figure 4A). Skeleton: no distinction can be made between ectosome and choanosome. Ascending irregular tracts 245.5 - 149.4 - 72.2 µm thick, composed of three to five spicules connected by transversal tracts with some randomly distributed microscleres (Figure 4E). Spicules: megascleres: slightly curved oxeas, slightly phased limbs, some of them slightly strongylated 412.8 - 363.2 - 311 µm long × 17.5 - 12.3 - 17.5 µm wide (Figure 4B); Trichodragmas: 160.7 - 145.5 - 131.4 µm long × 6.1 - 4.5 - 16.5 µm wide (Figure 4C). Microscleres: sigmas of shallow curves with thorny ends, 20.6 - 17.2 - 14 µm long (Figure 4D).

Figure 4 Biemna spinomicroxea. A. Fragment, B. Oxea, C. Trichodragma. D. Sigma, E. Skeleton. 

Habitat: soft bottoms in mesophotic environments.

Distribution in the Caribbean: Amapá, Brazil (^{Mothes et al., 2005}); Colombian Caribbean.

Comments: considering the description made by ^{Mothes et al. (2005)}, this specimen has raphides enclosed in trichodragmas instead of oxeas. However, unlike the Biemna species described for the tropical Atlantic, like Biemna cribaria (^{Alcolado and Gotera, 1986}) among other, megasclere spicules are oxeas and microsclera spicules do not have two sigma categories and do have spiny tips, which is why it was assigned to the species Biemna spinomicroxea.

Order Tetractinellida ^{Marshall, 1876}

Family Ancorinidae ^{Schmidt, 1870}

Genus Asteropus, su autor y fecha

Asteropus ketostea (de^{Laubenfels, 1950}) (Figure 5 A-E)

Stellettinopsis ketostea de ^{Laubenfels, 1950}: 112 - 114, text-fig. 50 A - D; 1954: 224.

Asteropus ketostea;^{Bergquist, 1965}: 189 (genus change); ^{Hajdu and van Soest, 1992}: 8 - 9. ^{Desqueyroux-Faúndez(?), 1990}: 378, figs. 13 - 15; ^{Rützler et al., 2009}: 295 (lista).

Figure 5 Asteropus ketostea. A. Fragment, B.1-3 Oxeas C. Oxiaster, D. Selenasters. E. Skeleton. 

Studied material: INV POR1620, Isla Fuerte, 73 m, col. Paola Flórez | Erika Montoya | Andrés Merchán | Manuel Garrido, 2012-08-02; INV POR1675, Isla Fuerte, 95 m, col. Paola Flórez | Erika Montoya | Andrés Merchán | Manuel Garrido, 2012-07-29.

Description: massive, irregular lobed sponge, 12.6 cm long × 2.1 cm wide, hard consistency, little compressible, hispid surface with abundant pores, nut no evidence of oscula, dark purple on the surface and gray coloration in alcohol (Figure 5A). Skeleton: Ectosome: composed of large amounts of selenaster microscleres interleaved with paratangential oxeas; Choanosome: with large oxeas forming irregular tracts of large, 385.2 - 209 - 79.5 µm wide oxeas and some smaller, thinner, and randomly dispersed oxeas (Figure 5E); Spicules: Megascleres: three oxea categories: oxea I: spindle-shaped, large, slightly curved, with gradually narrow tips, 2515.2 - 1846 - 1147.5 µm long × 76.4 - 51.3 - 33.2 µm wide (Figure 5B-1.); oxea II: thin, spindle-shaped, slightly curved, with gradually narrow tips, 1371.6 - 883 - 553.2 µm long × 36.5 - 23 - 11.6 µm wide (Figure 65B-2.); oxea III: thin, spindle-shaped, slightly curved, 316.2 - 526.4 - 661.3 µm long × 3.5 - 1.0 - 1.5 µm wide (Figure 5B-3.); Microscleres: sanidasters with more than 10 micro-spined rays, bifurcated or not, distributed along the 22 - 17.7 - 13.8 µm long axis (Figure 5D.); oxiasters (n=17): thin, with four to six micro-spined radii at the tip of each radius, 66.5 - 50.9 - 43.1 µm long (Figure 5C).

Habitat: soft bottoms in caves of shallow and mesophotic environments.

Distribution in the Caribbean: Bermuda (de ^{Laubenfels,1950}), Gulf of Mexico (^{Rützler et al., 2009}); Colombian Caribbean.

Comments: so far, for the Colombian Caribbean, not many species have been recorded which exhibit a combination between oxea megascleres and oxiaster and selenaster microscleres, which is why the original description by de Laubenfeld (1950) was consulted, i.e., “Stellettinopsis ketostea”. This description matched this spicule combination although there is a significant difference in oxeas and sanidasters size (Oxea I: 1000 µm long × 25 µm wide; Oxea II: 800 - 600 µm long × 15 - 8 µm wide; Oxea III: 400 µm long ×3 µm wide and Sanidaster: 12 - 18 µm long), there are no subsequent characterizations of this species The record made by ^{Desqueyroux-Faúndez (1990)} in Easter Island should be verified, as it is from another ocean.

Family Geodiidae ^{Gray, 1867}

Subfamily Erylinae ^{Sollas, 1888}

Genus Penares, autor, año

Penares chelotropa^{Boury-Esnault, 1973} (Figure 6 A - G)

Penares chelotropa^{Boury-Esnault, 1973}: 271-272, fig 10: ^{Hechtel, G.J., 1976}: 253; ^{Muricy et al., 2011}: 41; ^{van Soest, 2017}: 90 - 91, fig 56.

Studied material: INV POR1691, Isla Fuerte, 98 m, col. Paola Flórez | Erika Montoya | Andrés Merchán | Manuel Garrido, 2012-07-29.

Description: sponge with elongated and flat lobes, measuring 3 to 5.2 cm in length and 0.5 cm in diameter. It features a mildly corrugated surface, firm consistency, and exhibits a brown to ochre-colored when in alcohol (Figure 6A). Skeleton: Ectosome: composed of one dense micro-oxea scab with a thickness of 310.7 - 183.6 - 59.7 µm wide (Figure 6F) supported by the cladomes of orthotriaene megascleres on the surface. The scab has little round perforations with a diameter of 90.6 - 53.2 - 37.8 µm, separated from each other by 296 - 204 - 134.8 µm (Figure 6G). Spicules: Megascleres: two oxeas categories, oxea I: long and spindle-shaped, slightly bent, 702.2 - 573.3 - 467 µm long × 18.3 - 11.7 - 7.2 µm wide (Figure 7C-3.), oxea II: short, spindle-shaped, slightly bent, 197 - 160.8 - 127 µm long × 12.3 - 8.6 - 5.8 µm wide (Figure 6C-1, 2.). Orthotriaenes (n=17): similar to caltrops in shape, given that the rhabdus and clade have approximately equivalent lengths, but they differ from each other because rhabdes are straight and clades generally have curved or sometimes slightly twisted ends; Rhabdomes: 473.3 - 370.4 - 140.6 µm long × 14.3 - 10.3 - 7.2 µm wide; Cladome: 287.4 - 226.3 - 79.2 µm long × 14.3 - 10 - 7.2 µm wide; Clade: 401.2 - 292 - 108.3 µm long × 11.7 - 9.7 - 108.3 µm wide (Figure 6B-1,2). Microscleres: curved, pointy micro-oxeas with the shape of an oxea, but occasionally with a swollen central part, 96.2 - 61.2 - 35.6 µm long × 4.2 - 3 - 1.7 µm wide (Figure 6E), oxiasters with micro-spined tips, 7 - 8 radii 24.3 - 17 - 11.4. µm in diameter (Figure 6D).

Figure 6 Penares chelotropa. A. Fragment, B-1,2. Orthotriaenes, C-1. Oxea II, C-2. Oxea I, D. Oxiaster. E. Micro-oxea, F. Choanosome, G. Ectosome. 

Habitat: soft bottom in mesophotic environments.

Distribution in the Caribbean: Guyana continental shelf (^{van Soest, 2017}), north-eastern Brazil (^{Muricy et al., 2011}); Isla Fuerte, Colombian Caribbean.

Comments: the spicule shape and details of the specimens closely resemble those of the P. chelotropa holotype, hence the identification is confidently established. ^{Boury-Esnault (1973)}: 272), names tilaster-type asters, but the ends of the spicules are pointy under SEM, so they are identified as oxiasters.

Family Tetillidae ^{Sollas, 1886}

Genus Fangophilina y de su autor y fecha

Fangophilina submersa^{Schmidt, 1880} (Figure 7 A - K)

Fangophilina submersa^{Schmidt, 1880}: 73-74, plate X, fig 3; ^{Topsent, 1923}: 2 (redescription, fide^{de Voogd, 2022}a); ^{van Soest, 2017}: 112, 69.

No Fangophilina submersa; ^{Pulitzer-Finali, 1993}: 261; ^{Burton, 1956}: 122-123; Burton, 1959: 201 (fide^{de Voogd et al., 2022}a).

Studied material: INV POR1525, Isla Fuerte, 73 m, col. Paola Flórez | Erika Montoya | Andrés Merchán | Manuel Garrido, 2012-07-29; INV POR1569, Isla Fuerte, 98 m, col. Paola Flórez | Erika Montoya | Andrés Merchán | Manuel Garrido, 2012-08-03; INV POR1593, Isla Fuerte, 78 m, col. Paola Flórez | Erika Montoya | Andrés Merchán | Manuel Garrido, 2012-07-30; INV POR1598, Isla Fuerte, 126 m, 2012-08-05. INV POR1599, Isla Fuerte, 95 m. col. Paola Flórez | Erika Montoya | Andrés Merchán | Manuel Garrido, 2012-08-02; INV POR1628, Isla Fuerte, 78 m, col. Paola Flórez | Erika Montoya | Andrés Merchán | Manuel Garrido, 2012-07-29; INV POR1666, Isla Fuerte, 82 m. col. Paola Flórez | Erika Montoya | Andrés Merchán | Manuel Garrido, 2012-07-28.

Description: Globular sponge with two very prominent hispid lateral porochalices approximately 1.5 cm in diameter and 2 cm in height, with an average size between 1 and 3 cm in diameter, the surface looks flat but is micro-hispid to the touch, somewhat compressible consistency, light beige-colored in alcohol, sometimes light pink (possible presence of dye during fixation) (Figure 7A). Skeleton: Ectosome: spicule tracts strongly radiating from the porochalices to the center of the sponge’s body, prodiaene spicules forming a layer on the surface and randomly distributed sigmaspire microscleres; Choanosome: thin tracts composed of long megascleres: oxeas protruding from the ectosome, plagiomono-, di-, and triaenes, anatriaenes, prodi- triaenes (Figure 7K.). Spicules: Megascleres: distinguishable oxeas in two size categories, oxea I: long, with pointy ends, 2923 - 1742.4 - 1155.7 µm long × 41.1 - 24.5 - 12 µm wide (Figure 7B-1.), oxea II: slightly shorter, with pointy ends, 1108 - 762.6 - 461.5 µm long × 31 - 17.2 - 11.6 µm wide (Figure 7B-2); Orthomonoenes: straight clade shaped like a scythe, 602.5 - 399.2 - 199.1 µm long × 22.1 - 16.5 - 8.7 µm wide, straight rhabdome, some of them sinuous, 2718 - 1946.4 - 1469 µm long × 25 - 18.7 - 12 µm wide (Figure 7E.); Orthotriaenes: large, with diaene conditions, 2325.5 - 1667.2 - 948.3 µm long × 19.3 - 10 - 4.1 µm wide rhabdomes, 812.7 - 434.5 - 201 µm long cladome, 400.5 - 247 - 106.5 µm long × 14.2 - 9.7 - 6 µm wide clade (Figure 7C.); Plagiodiaenes: 2770.7 - 1531.4 - 870.1 µm long × 26.3 - 17.7 - 8.7 µm wide rhabdomes, 571.3 - 359 - 162.1 µm long cladome, 327.6 - 228 - 87.4 µm long × 22.1 - 14 - 5.8 µm wide clade (Figure 7D.); Plagiotriaenes (n=15): rhabdome, sometimes bent, 2624.7 - 1763.7 - 1181.5 µm long × 31 - 16.7 - 9.2 µm wide, 436.7 - 330.7 - 226 µm long cladome, 259.7 - 188.7 - 116.4 µm long × 22.1 - 13.7 - 6.5 µm wide clade (Figure 8F.); prodiaenes in two distinct size categories (I, n=15): robust, with thick, almost parallel clades, 2727.6 - 1469.3 - 1185 µm long × 38.2 - 25 - 12 µm wide rhabdome, 259 - 153 - 95 µm long cladome, 259 - 161.5 - 79.4 µm long × 35 - 22.6 - 13 µm wide clade; prodiaenes II (n=9): thinner and smaller, with very long and thin clades, 1596 - 1263.4 - 655.2 µm long × 6.2 - 3.7 - 1.8 µm wide rhabdomes, 82 - 51 - 34 µm long cladome, 97.8 - 69.3 - 28.1 µm long × 4 - 3.1 - 2.1 µm wide clade (Figure 7I.); protriaenes in two distinct size categories, protriaenes I: robust, with thick, almost parallel clade, 3128.6 - 2459 - 1379.5 µm long × 23.6 - 13.8 - 5.2 µm wide rhabdome, 218.6 - 140.4 - 67.7 µm long cladome, 253 - 145.4 - 87.5 µm long × 22.7 - 14 - 8.7 µm wide clade (Figure 7H-1.); protriaenes II: thinner, with very thin and long clades, with some bent ends, 2881.8 - 1934.8 - 646.4 µm long × 8.7 - 4.6 - 1.8 µm wide rhabdome (Figure 7H-2.); anatriaenes (n=13): very scarce, rare, with a very thin rabdome 3117 - 1216.8 - 1792.1 µm long × 17.7 - 10.7 - 4.1 µm wide (Figure 7G.). Microscleres: micro-spined sigmaspires, variable, S-shaped, 33.3 - 23.1 - 17.5 µm long (Figure 7J.)

Figure 7 Fangophilina submersa A. Specimen, B-1,2. Oxeas, C. Ortotriaene, D. Plagiodiaene, E. Orthomonoenes, F. Plagiotriaenes, G. Anatriaene, H-1. Protriaene I, H-2. Protriaene II, I. Prodiaene, J. Sigmaspires, K. Skeleton. 

Habitat: Soft bottoms in mesophotic environments, 42 - 110 m (^{van Soest, 2017}).

Distribution in the Caribbean: Guyana, Gulf of México, Colombian Caribbean.

Comments: to identify this specimen, it was compared with ^{van Soest (2017)}; the only one who has reported this species for the western Atlantic. The descriptions are very similar, the author describes variations of megascleres spicules, like plagiomono-, di- and trienes (as variations of plagiotrienes), orthodi- and triene (as variations of orthotrienes) by the number and orientation of the clades towards the rabds. Therefore, in this work the same nomenclature was used due to the similarity, except for the “monoplagiotriaene” ones, which are not shaped like an ox horn, as described by the author. However, both the shape and the spicule composition coincided, thus assigning this species.

Family Theonellidae Lendenfeld, 1903

Genus Discodermia y su autor y fecha

Discodermia polydiscus (^{Bowerbank, 1869}) (Figure 8 A - G)

Dactylocalyx polydiscus^{Bowerbank, 1869}.

Discodermia polydiscus; ^{van Soest and Stentof, 1988}: 50 - 52, fig 22; ^{Pisera and Lévi, 2002}: 329, fig 3 (with additional synonymy); ^{Rützler et al., 2009}: 298. (listed).

(For additional, badly applied names and additional synonymy, see ^{de Voogd et al., 2022}b).

Studied material: INV POR1553, Isla Fuerte, 98 m, col. Paola Flórez | Erika Montoya | Andrés Merchán | Manuel Garrido, 2012-08-03; INV POR1582, isla Fuerte, 126 m, col. Paola Flórez | Erika Montoya | Andrés Merchán | Manuel Garrido, 2012-08-05.

Description: irregularly shaped sponge, with some polychaetes on and within the ectosome, 3 cm long × 2 cm wide, flat surface; no visible oscula, brittle consistency in the upper part, hard, difficult to cut in the lower part, medium beige-colored in alcohol (Figure 8A); Skeleton: ectosome: detachable from the discotriaenes, with some randomly visible microscleres; Choanosome: thin tracts of oxeotes supporting the skin of discotriaenes rising through the 387.4 - 309.8 -232.2 µm thick reticulation of desmata (Figure 8F - G). Spicules: Megascleres: desmata with flat stems but very wart ends, the highest diameter is reported, 573.6 - 307.1 - 193 µm long (Figure 8B), discotriaenes with irregular or oval edges, generally flat, but some corrugated or with very small protrusions, 198.6 - 174.4 - 150.2 µm long × 41.1 - 32- 22.7 µm wide rhabdus, longest diameter: 381.4 - 259 - 161 µm long (Figure 8C), oxeote (n=13) with modifications of stylotes, 698 - 442.6 - 223.7 µm long × 10.2 - 6 - 3 µm wide (Figure 8D.). Microscleres: acanthomicroxea 17.3 - 12 - 6.8 µm long × 4.2 - 2.8 - 1.5 µm wide (Figure 8E).

Figure 8 Discodermia polydiscus. A. Fragment, B. Desma, C. Discotriaenes, D. Oxeote, E. Acanthomicroxea F - G. Merged desmata network 

Habitat: soft bottom in mesophotic environment.

Distribution in the Caribbean: Barbados (^{van Soest and Stentoff, 1988}); Gulf of Mexico (^{Rützler et al., 2009}); Colombian Caribbean.

Comments: the morphotypes were compared to Discodermia dissoluta^{Schmidt, 1880}, which has already been reported for the Colombian Caribbean. However, the morphology of the discotriaene spicules is more irregular and is greater in size than that reported. Similarly, the desmata have more protrusions, which makes them easy to spot; with is why Discodermia polydiscus was assigned, following the comparisons made by ^{van Soest and Stentoff (1988)} although it does not have separate microscleres as they describe (microxeas and acanthose microrhabds separately), which differ in nomenclature with ^{Pisera and Lévi (2002)} who characterize acanthoxas and acanthomicrorhabds.

Order Merliida ^{Vacelet, 1979}

Family Hamacanthidae ^{Gray, 1872}

Genus Hamacantha, de su autor y el año

Hamacantha (Vomerula) agassizi^{Topsent, 1920} (Figure 9 A - E)

Figure 9 Hamacantha (Vomerula) agassizi. A. Fragment, B. Diancistras, C Style. D. Sigma, E. Skeleton. 

Synonymy in ^{van Soest, 2017}: 127, fig 78. In addition:

Evomerula agassizi; de ^{Laubenfels, 1936}: 125. (fide ^{de Voogd et al., 2022}c).

Examined material: INV POR1483, Manaure, 210 m, col. Paola Flórez | Manuel Garrido, 2011-12-02; INV POR1577, Isla Fuerte, 128 m, col. Paola Flórez | Erika Montoya | Andrés Merchán | Manuel Garrido, 2012-07-04; INV POR1580, Isla Fuerte, 126 m, col. Paola Flórez | Erika Montoya | Andrés Merchán | Manuel Garrido, 2012-08-05.

Description: lobe-shaped irregular sponge, thin, 2 cm long × 1.7 cm wide, flat surface, no visible oscula, brittle consistency, easy to tear apart, light beige-colored in alcohol, somewhat translucid (Figure 9A). Skeleton: Ectosome: tangential reticulation of style tracts, thin, intertwined, 17 - 40 μm (three to five spicules) in diameter, with several diancistras interleaved. Choanosome: formed by tracts of feathery spicules 195 - 287 μm in diameter, becoming thinner towards the surface, 92 - 134 μm wide (Figure 9E). Spicules: Megascleres: straight or slightly curved, flat, spindle-shaped styes 422.1 - 383.4 - 293.1 µm long × 7.4 - 4.8 - 2 µm wide; (Figure 9C), diancistras in adult stage with sharp surfaces, only large at the apices below a keyhole-shaped opening. The middle part of the axis is rounded, 121.1 - 108.7 - 95.4 µm long × 9.3 - 6.9 - 4.1 µm wide (Figure 9B); Microscleres: rounded sigmas 13.6 - 12 - 9.4 µm in length (Figure 9D).

Habitat: thick sand bottom at 130 m deep (^{van Soest, 2017}), soft bottoms in mesophotic environments

Distribution in the Caribbean: Gulf of Mexico (^{Topsent, 1920}), erroneously reported from the Azores by ^{van Soest (1984)} (p. 144). Guyana shelf (van Soest, 2017).

Comments: to identify the specimen, Castellano-Branco and Hadju 2018 (table 2) was reviewed, where the valid Hamacantha (Vomerula) species are compared, given that their megascleres are styles and not oxeas. In addition, the characteristics match in shape and spiculation with the descriptions made by ^{van Soest (2017)}. Several species recorded in the western Atlantic were compared: H. (V.) jeanvacelati Castellano-Branco and Hadju, 2018 do not report microscleres, H. (V.) klausruetzleri Castellano-Branco and Hadju, 2018 shows strongyles as megascleres and two categories of diancistras and sigmas, H. (V.) azorica^{Topsent, 1904} has no record of megascleres or diancistras to compare and shows raphides as microscleres, H. (V.) bowerbanki^{Lundbeck, 1902} does not report megascleres and has toxae as microscleres, H. (V.) carteri Topsent, 1904 has megascleres that are clearly larger than the specimen, H. (V.) integra Topsent, 1904 reports acanthous styles and has no microscleres, H. (V.) microxifera^{Lopes and Hadju,2004} has raphides as microscleres, and H. (V.) tenda (^{Schmidt, 1880}) differs as it has toxae and lacks sigmas ((cf. Topsent 1920 (p. 9) and ^{Hajdu 2002} (p. 667)).

Order Poecilosclerida ^{Topsent, 1928}

Family Coelosphaeridae ^{Dendy, 1922}

Coelosphaera (Coelosphaera) hechteli^{van Soest, 1984} (Figure 10 A - F)

Coelosphaera (Coelosphaera) hechteli^{van Soest, 1984}.

Examined material: INV POR1562, Isla Fuerte, 73 m, col. Paola Flórez | Erika Montoya | Andrés Merchán | Manuel Garrido, 2012-07-29.

Description: sponge shaped like hollow irregular fistulae measuring 4.7 cm long and 0.5 cm wide each, corrugated surface, with no visible oscula and very fragile consistency, medium beige-colored in alcohol (Figure 10A). Skeleton: Ectosome: dense layer of unclear megascleres; Choanosome: single megascleres forming strange, badly defined tracts (Figure 10F). Spicules: Megascleres: long, sinuous tylotes with slightly swollen heads, 522.6 - 384.3 - 252.8 µm long × 11.3 - 7.2 - 4.1 µm wide (Figure 10E), raphides in thick tricogragmata 734 - 347.7 - 230.1 µm long × 88.5 - 29.3 - 11.7 µm wide (Figure 10D.). Microscleres: sigmas: 53.2 - 45 - 39.6 µm long × 3.8 - 2.5 - 1.7 µm wide (Figure 10C) and isochelas: 34.4 - 29 - 20.5 µm long × 3.8 - 2.5 - 1.7 µm wide (Figure 10B).

Figura 10 Coelosphaera (Coelosphaera) hechteli. A. Fragment, B. Isochela, C. Sigma, D. Tricodragmata, E. Tylote, F. Skeleton. 

Habitat: muddy and bottoms in mesophotic and deep waters.

Distribution in the Caribbean: Curaçao, type locality, Puerto Rico. (^{van Soest, 1984}), Colombian Caribbean.

Comments: the characteristics of the specimen match in combination and size with the only record for Punta Cadena, Curaçao in the western Atlantic (^{van Soest, 1984}) (tylotes: 533 - 386 - 268 µm long × 6 - 4 - 2 µm wide; dragmata: 330 - 306.5 - 285 µm long × 55 - 38.8 - 20 µm wide; sigmas: 60 - 48.4 - 38 µm long and isochelae: 30 - 26.7 - 22 µm long).

Forcepia (Forcepia) colonensis^{Carter, 1874} (Figure 11A - F)

Figure 11 Forcepia (Forcepia) colonensis. A. Fragment, B. Tylote, C-D. Forceps in different growth forms, E. Isochela, F. Skeleton. 

Forcepia colonensis^{Carter, 1874}: 248, pl. XV, fig. 47, No Carter, 1885: 110-111, pl. IV, fig 2, a-e.

Forcepia trilabis; ^{van Soest, 1984}: 66, pl. VI figs 1-2, text-fig. 24 (no ^{Boury-Esnault, 1973}: 280, fig. 32).

Examined material: INV POR1509, Isla Fuerte, 73 m, col. Paola Flórez | Erika Montoya | Andrés Merchán | Manuel Garrido, 2012-07-29; INV POR1590, isla Fuerte, 78 m, Paola Flórez | Erika Montoya | Andrés Merchán | Manuel Garrido, 2012-07-30.

Description: amorphous sponge, somewhat elongated, 5 cm long × 1.5 cm wide, flat surface, no apparent oscula. Soft-brittle consistency, medium beige-colored in alcohol (Figure 11A). Skeleton: Ectosome: one scab of intertwined megascleres; Choanosome: irregular array of individual megasclere spicules (Figure 11F). Spicules: Megascleres: tylotes with well-developed styles, some of them with rough deformations (Figure 11B.), very uniform, 519.4 - 471.7 - 384 µm long × 13 - 8.4 - 4.3 µm wide, large, thorny forceps in various development stages, 345.4 - 295.5 - 255.7 µm long × 11.6 - 7.6 - 4.3 µm wide (Figure 11C-D). Microscleres: arcuate isochelae in two size categories, I: 32.3 - 25.3 - 21.2 µm in length, II (n=12): 20.8 - 19.2 - 16.3 µm in length (Figure 11E).

Habitat: on coral debris bottoms at 100 m deep, mesophotic soft bottoms.

Distribution in the Caribbean: Panama, Barbados (^{van Soest, 1984}) (described as Forcepia (Ectoforcepia) trilabis), Colombian Caribbean.

Comments: ^{van Soest (1984}b) confused it with a thin, broken development stage of the large forceps of Forcepia trilabis. ^{Boury-Esnault (1973)}: 280) confused it with F. colonensis^{Carter, 1874}a. In its current interpretation, it is likely that this is a closely but separate species. The identification was based on the Systema Porífera, where van Soest (2002) describe spicules megascleres: tylotes 330 - 360 µm long × 7 - 4 µm wide; forceps 200 - 260 µm long × 3.5 - 4.5 µm wide and spicules microscleres: large arcuate isochelae 20 - 38 µm long; small normal-shaped arcuated isochelae 15 - 20 µm long

Order Suberitida ^{Chombard and Boury-Esnault, 1999}

Family Halichondriidae ^{Gray, 1867}

Spongosorites ruetzleri (^{van Soest and Stentoff, 1988})(Figure 12 A - C)

? Halichondria ruetzleri^{van Soest and Stentoft, 1988}.

Spongosorites ruetzleri (^{van Soest and Stentoff, 1988}); ^{Díaz et al. 1993}: 300, figs 36, 37, 43.

Examined material: INV POR1506, isla Fuerte, 73 m, col. Paola Flórez | Erika Montoya | Andrés Merchán | Manuel Garrido, 2012-07-29; INV POR1507, isla Fuerte, 124 m, col. Paola Flórez | Erika Montoya | Andrés Merchán | Manuel Garrido, 2012-08-03.

Description: massive amorphous sponge 7.5 cm in diameter, flat surface, randomly distributed little oscula, crumbly consistency, shells of vermetids growing within and on the sponge, which, according to ^{Díaz, et al. (1993)} cause it to darken to dark brown in alcohol (Figure 12A). Skeleton: Ectosome: thick paratangential crust of smaller spicules in many directions; Choanosome: megascleres arrayed in a confusing manner, parallel or oblique to the surface, some of them grouped as 274.5 - 133 - 65 µm wide tracts (Figure 12C). Spicules: megascleres oxeas with two size classes, oxea I: long, generally spindle-shaped, some of them bent at the center or along the 937 - 747.2 - 656.5 - µm long × 34.8 - 21.6 - 13.3 µm wide spicule; oxea II: fusiform with bent at the center, 559.3 - 408 - 264.2 µm long × 17.5 - 11 - 8.2 µm wide spicule (Figure 12B.).

Figure 12 Spongosorites ruetzleri. A. Fragment, B. Oxea I, Oxea II, C. Skeleton. 

Habitat: deep waters, 25-173 m, on rocky or sandy bottoms.

Distribution in the Caribbean: Barbados (^{van Soest and Stentoff, 1988}), Bahamas (^{Díaz et al., 1993}), Colombian Caribbean.

Comments: the specimen was compared to ^{Díaz et al. (1993)}, with consistent similarities in both the description and its skeleton and spicule structure, although the taxonomic identification of the genus was a complex task due to skeleton generality. Diaz et al. (1993) describe two or three size classes (600 - 200 µm long × 5 - 20 µm wide; 80 - 360 µm long × 3 - 12 µm wide; 40 - 180 µm long × 2 - 8 µm wide); in this work only two size classes were found. The differentiation of the morphotype with the presence of vermetids resulted in the assignation of this species.