Polymastia croceus

Taxobox
name = "Polymastia croceus"
regnum = Animalia
phylum = Porifera
classis = Demospongiae
ordo = Hadromerida
familia = Polymastiidae
genus = "Polymastia"
species = "P. croceus"
binomial = "Polymastia croceus"
binomial_authority = Kelly-Borges & Bergquist, 1997

"Polymastia croceus" is a species of demosponge belonging to the family Polymastiidae. It is found in subtidal habitats below 6 m depth in the far north of North Island, New Zealand.

This is a globular sponge up to 4 cm across or an encrusting sponge up to 7 cm across. This soft-textured sponge is very bright yellow outside and in with the surface covered in small papillae, some with pores, some without. This sponge is frequently infested with the parasitic amphipod "Polycheria antarctica". At least three species of symbiont foraminifera are found within this sponge.

References

*cite journal |quotes=no |url=http://www.rsnz.org/publish/nzjmfr/1997/32.pdf |title= 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 |journal=New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research |volume=31 |year=1997 |author=Michelle Kelly-Borges & Patricia R. Bergquist |pages=367–402