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 [151,380,153,180] Demospongiae Geodiidae Penares Animalia Astrophorida 42 43 Porifera species astronavis sp. nov.  ( Fig. 34–36, Table 11)   Material examined. Holotype—  NIWA 82272,  NIWAStn TAN1206/34, Kermadec Ridge, 36.447° S, 177.839° E,  850–980 m,  18 Apr 2012.    Typelocality. Southern Kermadec Ridge, New Zealand.   Distribution.Only known from typelocality, the Southern Kermadec Ridge, New Zealand; 980 m( Figure 36).   Description.Morphology is a thinly encrusting, nodular sponge, growing over dead coral branches ( Figure 34A); 25 mm× 10 mm× 2 mmthick. Texture is firm but compressible. Surface is slightly scratchy to the touch. No pores or oscules are visible. Colour in ethanol is greyish brown throughout.  Skeleton.Cortical skeleton comprises a densely packed layer of microrhabds, 100–150 µmthick. Microrhabds have no particular orientation in the cortex ( Figure 34C). Choanosomal skeleton is densely packed with oxyasters ( Figure 34C). Very short triaenes are common and positioned just below the cortex ( Figure 34B). Oxeas occur infrequently in the choanosome, having no particular orientation.   FIGURE 34.  Penares astronavis  sp. nov., holotype NIWA 82272: A.Holotype preserved in ethanol; B.Section showing the position of the dichotriaenes below the cortex; C.Section showing the dense layer of microrhabds in the cortex and the abundant oxyasters in the choanosome.  Spicules( Figure 35; Table 11). Megascleres—oxeas ( Figure 35A) are short, very slender and almost straight; 1269 (768–1692) × 21 (13–27) µm (n = 20). Dichotriaenes ( Figure 35B & C) have a short rhabdome; 180 (117–255) µm long × 593 (407–946) µm wide (n = 20). Deuteroclads are conical, widely separated and longer than proto- clads.  Microscleres—oxyasters ( Figure 35D), highly modified into asymmetrical shapes. Rays are smooth, strongly conical, of varying length, and have a mixture of sharply pointed and bluntly rounded tips; 54 (39–85) µm in diam- eter (n = 20). Microrhabds ( Figure 35E) vary from short, very stout, straight rods with pointed or bluntly rounded tips to perfectly spherical balls. Occasionally, fused or cross-shaped microrhabds occur; 40 (16–82) × 13 (6–20) µm (n = 20).   Etymology.Named for the unusual shape of the oxyasters, which resemble a spaceship ( astro, of the stars; navis, ship; Latin).   Remarks.The unusual oxyasters of  P. astronavis  sp. nov.differentiate it from all other  Penaresspecies. The species also possesses smooth spherules, but these appear to be a reduced form of microrhabd rather than a separate spicule category in this species.  Penares astronavis  sp. nov.also has particularly short and wide dichotriaenes (180 (117–255) µm long × 593 (407–946) µm wide). The only other New Zealand  Penaresthat has similar length dicho- triaenes is  P. kermadecensis  sp. nov.(197 (122–300) µm long × 854 (644–1085) µm wide, but it has a much wider cladome than  P. astronavis  sp. nov. 2274830326 [528,680,261,288] NIWA 42 43 NIWA 82272 1 2274830321 2012-04-18 NIWA 915 -36.447 70 177.839 42 43 1 2274830362 [199,829,333,360] New Zealand Southern Kermadec Ridge 42 43 1 holotype