Polymastia rubens

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Polymastia rubens
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Porifera Class: Demospongiae Order: Hadromerida Family: Polymastiidae Genus: Polymastia Species: P. rubens
Binomial name
Polymastia rubens Kelly-Borges & Bergquist, 1997

Polymastia rubens is a species of demosponge belonging to the family Polymastiidae. It is only known from rocky subtidal habitats around Kawau Island off North Island, New Zealand.

This is an encrusting sponge with a very firm texture, growing in patches up to 7 cm across. The outer layer is bright red with a brown interior. The surface is smooth apart from small wart-like papillae.

[edit] References

• Michelle Kelly-Borges & Patricia R. Bergquist (1997). Revision of Southwest Pacific Polymastiidae (Porifera: Demospongiae: Hadromerida) with descriptions of new species of Polymastia Bowerbank, Tylexocladus Topsent, and Acanthopolymastia gen. nov. from New Zealand and the Norfolk Ridge, New Caledonia. New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 31: 367–402.