A new Suberites (Demospongiae: Hadromerida: Suberitidae) from the tropical Indo-West Pacific

In this paper we describe Suberites diversicolor spec. nov. (Porifera: Demospongiae: Hadromerida: Suberitidae) from four enclosed anchialine lakes located in Indonesia and from a confined system in Singapore. Initially this species was thought to be specific to anchialine lakes, but further comparison to coastal areas indicated that it is more widespread in inshore systems. We have used morphological characters to distinguish this species and a molecular marker to confirm that all types are the same species. Suberites diversicolor spec. nov. is encrusting or massive with small protrusions or larger globular branches. The external colour can be olive-green, blue, purple, red-orange, or orange-yellow. Suberites diversicolor spec. nov. differs from known shallow water species of the genus Suberites in the tropical Indo-Pacific due to its diverse display of colour-morphs and the presence of larger tylostyles with a wide size range.