Studies on Southwest Pacific Hexactinellida 1: Atlantisella lorraineae, a new glass sponge genus and species record for New Zealand

A second species of Atlantisella Tabachnick, 2002 (Class Hexactinellida Schmidt, Order Lyssacinosida Zittel, Family Euplectellidae Gray) is described here from Tangaroa Seamount on the southern Kermadec Ridge, off the Bay of Plenty in northeastern New Zealand. The New Zealand species differs considerably from the North Central Atlantic type species, A. incognita Tabachnick, 2002, in lacking hexactine dermalia, by possessing calycocome-like oxyhexaster microscleres, and in the different form of the oxystauractins. Atlantisella lorraineae sp. nov. is named in memory of the co-author’s mother, Mrs Lorraine Kelly, who passed away on 1 October 2016.  Hexactinellida, Lyssacinosida, Euplectellidae, Atlantisella, taxonomy, new species, Tangaroa Seamount, southern Kermadec Ridge, Chatham Rise, New Zealand EEZ