Penares kermadecensis, Sim-Smith, Carina & Kelly, Michelle, 2019

Sim-Smith, Carina & Kelly, Michelle, 2019, Review of the sponge genus Penares (Demospongiae, Tetractinellida, Astrophorina) in the New Zealand EEZ, with descriptions of new species, Zootaxa 4638 (1), pp. 1-56 : 24-25

Penares kermadecensis sp. nov.

(Fig. 17–19; Table 6)

Microscleres —microxeas (Figure 18D) are short, stout and straight or curved with sharply pointed tips. Microxea size is quite variable; 114 (34–220) × 9 (4–17) µm (n = 80).

Etymology. Named for the type locality and known distribution of this species, the Kermadec Ridge.

Remarks. Penares kermadecensis sp. nov. is the only New Zealand Penares species that lacks euasters. The spicule complement and dimensions of P. kermadecensis sp. nov. are very similar to those of P. schulzei , with the exception that P. schulzei possesses oxyasters. The most pronounced differences between the two species are morphology— Penares kermadecensis is a thinly encrusting or small, branched, orange brown sponge when preserved, whereas P. schulzei is purple when preserved, massive in form, and its choanosome is filled with boring gastropods and debris.

Two South Pacific species, P. palmatoclada and P. ochracea also lack euasters. However, P. palmatoclada has much larger oxeas (3000–4000 µm) than P. kermadecensis sp. nov. (815 (562–1107) µm), and P. ochracea possesses both microxeas and microrhabds, while P. kermadecensis sp. nov. only possesses microxeas.