A revision of Atlantic Asteropus Sollas, 1888 (Demospongiae), including a description of three new species, and with a review of the family Coppatiidae Topsent, 1898

Various records of A. simplex Carter, 1879 from the Atlantic are assigned to three new species of the sponge genus Asteropus Sollas, 1888, viz.: A. brasiliensis sp. n., A. vasiformis sp. n., and A. niger sp. n., whereas A. simplex s.s. is restricted to the Indo- Pacific. A worldwide study of Asteropus specimens resulted in the conclusion that two species groups exist, namely “simplex”- like species (with true sanidasters), and “sarasinorum”-like species (with spiny microrhabds), as previously observed by Bergquist (1965, 1968). A newly discovered microsclere complement of trichodragmata in the first group strengthens the need for generic distinction of both lineages, and accordingly the name Melophlus Thiele, 1899 is reinstated for the “sarasinorum” species group. A key to the West Atlantic species of Asteropus is provided. The family allocation of Asteropus and associated genera in the Coppatiidae Topsent, 1898 is discussed, with the conclusion that the family is undoubtedly a polyphyletic assemblage related to various astrophorid groups (Hooper, 1986; Van Soest, 1991).