title: Desmacella Schmidt, 1870 from Brazil: Description of two new species and a review of records (Desmacellida: Demospongiae: Porifera).
abstract: Three species of Desmacella Schmidt, 1870 are described from the Brazilian coast: Desmacella microsigmata sp. nov., Desmacella tylovariabilis sp. nov. and Desmacella annexa Schmidt, 1870. The new species were compared with Desmacella species from the Atlantic Ocean, which differ by the size of their spicules and by the presence of microspined sigmas. Desmacella annexa was found to have microspined toxiform microxeas and sigmas. Desmacella now contains 31 species distributed worldwide.
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Zoologia, Av. Nelson Chaves, s/n Cidade Universitária CEP 50373-970, Recife, PE, Brazil; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: Thaynã
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Cavalcanti
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Zoologia, Av. Nelson Chaves, s/n Cidade Universitária CEP 50373-970, Recife, PE, Brazil; Email: unknown.
authors.forename: George Garcia
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Santos
authors.affiliation: Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Centro de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Zoologia, Av. Nelson Chaves, s/n Cidade Universitária CEP 50373-970, Recife, PE, Brazil; Email: uspinheiro@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Ulisses
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Pinheiro
mesh_terms: D063147:Animal Distribution; D000825:Animal Structures / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000254:growth & development; D000818:Animals; D049628:Body Size; D001938:Brazil; D009929:Organ Size; D011161:Porifera / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000145:classification* / Q000254:growth & development