Review of the sponge genus Penares (Demospongiae, Tetractinellida, Astrophorina) in the New Zealand EEZ, with descriptions of new species Sim-Smith, Carina Kelly, Michelle Zootaxa 2019 2019-07-15 4638 1 1 56 Sim-Smith & Kelly, 2019 Sim-Smith & Kelly 2019 [151,434,153,180] Demospongiae Geodiidae Penares Animalia Astrophorida 23 24 Porifera species kermadecensis sp. nov.  ( Fig. 17–19; Table 6)   Material examined.  Holotype —NIWA 76259, NIWA Stn TAN0413/137, Southern Kermadec Ridge, 37.331° S, 177.075° E, 375–414 m, 14 Nov 2004. Paratypes —NIWA 76261, NIWA Stn TAN0413/128, Southern Kermadec Ridge, 37.329° S, 177.073° E, 358–380 m, 14 Nov 2004.  Type locality.Southern Kermadec Ridge, New Zealand.   Distribution.Only known from the type locality, Southern Kermadec Ridge, New Zealand ( Figure 19). Grows on hard substrate, 358–414 m.   Description.Holotype is a thinly encrusting sponge growing on coral rubble and gravel ( Figure 17A), while the paratype NIWA 76261 is a small, branching sponge ( Figure 17B). The holotype is 25 mm × 15 mm ( Figure 17A). Texture is very hard, barely compressible. Surface is wrinkled and sculptured, slightly scratchy to the touch. No oscules or pores are visible. Colour in ethanol is light beige to orange brown.  Skeleton.Cortical skeleton is thin (80–500 µm) and consists of densely packed, tangential microxeas ( Figure 17D & E). Choanosomal skeleton has a single layer of dichotriaenes present just below the cortex, arranged with their cladomes uppermost ( Figure 17C). Oxeas are abundant in the choanosome. In places, bundles of tangential oxeas are present near the surface ( Figure 17D). Microxeas are abundantly scattered throughout the choanosome Spicules( Fig. 18; Table 6). Megascleres—oxeas ( Figure 18A) are small, slender and almost straight to angulate with bluntly rounded or slightly pointed tips; 815 (562–1107) × 22 (13–33) µm (n = 40). Dichotriaenes ( Figure 18B) have an extremely short rhabdome and long stout clads with sharply pointed tips. Some clads are trifurcate ( Figure 18C); 197 (122–300) µm long × 854 (644–1085) µm wide (n = 30) 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 typelocality and known distribution of this species, the Kermadec Ridge.   Remarks.  Penares kermadecensis  sp. nov.is the only New Zealand  Penaresspecies 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. schulzeipossesses oxyasters. The most pronounced differences between the two species are mor-phology—  Penares kermadecensisis a thinly encrusting or small, branched, orange brown sponge when preserved, whereas  P. schulzeiis purple when preserved, massive in form, and its choanosome is filled with boring gastropods and debris. Two South Pacific species,  P. palmatocladaand  P. ochraceaalso lack euasters. However,  P. palmatocladahas much larger oxeas ( 3000–4000 µm) than  P. kermadecensis  sp. nov.(815 (562–1107) µm), and  P. ochraceapossesses both microxeas and microrhabds, while  P. kermadecensis  sp. nov.only possesses microxeas. 2412621729 23 24