Two new Clathria ( Axosuberites ) Topsent, 1893 (Demospongiae: Poecilosclerida) from Northeastern Brazil

: The genus Clathria Schmidt, 1862 is the richest genus of the family Microcionidae, but only 20 species have been recorded from Brazil until now. Clathria (Axosuberites) Topsent, 1893 is characterized by having digitate, whip-like, arborescent and flabellate growth forms, lacking echinating spicules, well differentiated axial and extra-axial skeleton, styles and/or subtylostyles as principal spicules, and microscleres palmate isochelae and toxas. The subgenus contains 19 valid species, with worldwide distribution predominantly in shallow waters. Six species occur in the Atlantic Ocean and two of them are recorded from the Western Atlantic in South America: Clathria (Axosuberites) riosae Van Soest, 2017, and Clathria (Axosuberites) marplatensis (Cuartas, 1992). Specimens analyzed in this study were collected in 2015 at Mamanguape estuary, Paraiba State, and in 2017 at Tutoia beach, Maranhao State. Here we described two new species of Clathria (Axosuberites) for the first time in Brazilian waters: Clathria (Axosuberites) aurantia n. sp. and Clathria (Axosuberites) hillenburgi n. sp.