Suberites carnosus var. novaezealandiae Dendy, 1924

Van Soest, Rob W. M., 2024, Correcting sponge names: nomenclatural update of lower taxa level Porifera, Zootaxa 5398 (1), pp. 1-122 : 87

Suberites carnosus var. novaezealandiae Dendy, 1924

Suberites carnosus var. novaezealandiae Dendy, 1924: 380 (no illustration); Brøndsted 1927b: 322 (listed only).

Suberites carnosus ; Burton 1934b: 44; Bergquist 1968: 27; Kelly et al. 2009: 43 (listed only).

The variety was described by Dendy from south of the Three Kings Islands, New Zealand (34.45°S 172.1167°E, depth 549 m (holotype BMNH 1923.10.1.160, slides BMNH 1923.10.1.387–388). It differs from the type of Suberites carnosus ( Johnston, 1842: 146, pl. XIII figs. 7–8, from Roundstone Bay, Ireland, approximate coordinates 57.35°N 9.92°W, holotype BMNH 1930.7.3.491, with type slide 1954.3.9.419) in its ovoid shape, (the type being a mushroom-like conical shape), lack of a central terminal oscule, and presence of centrotylote oxeas). The variety thus appears distinct, although Burton (1934b: 46) followed by Bergquist (1968: 26) proclaimed the untenable concept of a polymorphic and cosmopolitan eurybathic S. carnosus . These authors offered no descriptions or comparisons with the holotype of S. carnosus as Dendy did. The geographic separation adds to our proposal to elevate the present variety to a valid species, to be named Suberites novaezealandiae Dendy, 1924 .