Stylopoma aurantiacum Canu & Bassler, 1928a

(Figs. 54–59)

Stylopoma aurantiacum Canu & Bassler, 1928a: 78, pl. 4, figs. 3, 4; Vieira et al. 2008: 28; Winston et al. 2014: 204, fig. 41.

Material examined. UFBA 1587, UFBA 2394, Camamu Bay, 13°53’S, 38°59’W, 18–20 m, coll . October 2012 (on sponge Haliclona (Soestella) melana); UFBA 1182, Camamu Bay, 13°53’S, 38°59’W, 18–20 m, coll . October 2012 (one colony on sponge Ircinia felix).

Remarks. Stylopoma aurantiacum has encrusting colonies (Fig. 54), a keyhole-shaped orifice with distinct condyles, frontal avicularia rounded proximally and subtriangular distally (Fig. 56), large shoe-shaped interzooidal avicularia (Fig. 58) and large ooecia with crab claw-like extensions from either side of the base of the opening (Fig. 59) (Canu & Bassler 1928a; Winston et al. 2014). Winston et al. (2014) first reported S. aurantiacum since its original description, but here we first figure ooecia of S. auratiacum (Fig. 59). We found two colonies attached to the sponges Haliclona (Soestella) melana and Ircinia felix . The widely known Stylopoma spongites (Pallas, 1766) received its name owing to its association with a sponge (Tilbrook 2001), suggesting Stylopoma species might be common on that substratum.

Distribution. Atlantic: endemic to Brazil (Pernambuco and Bahia) (Winston et al. 2014).