Proteleia tapetum

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Proteleia tapetum is a small sea sponge in the Polymastiidae family. It lives in shallow water on the far north of New Zealand’s North Island, in both subtidal and intertidal zones. It grows as encrusting patches up to about 60 cm across. The sponge has a bright yellow or orange outer surface with a darker interior, and its surface is covered with many smooth triangular papillae up to 15 mm tall. Because it is often coated in sediment, the papillae are frequently the only visible part of the sponge. Its binomial name is Proteleia tapetum; it was previously named Polymastia tapetum. It was described in 1997 by Michelle Kelly-Borges and Patricia Bergquist.