A Common Sponge and a Lichen To Look For
Crella incrustans is a very common sponge, found all around New Zealand where it can be found in rock pools, under ledges in the intertidal or in rubble banks of boulders and attaches itself to rock. The external colour is bright rich burnt red in relatively shallow North Island specimens, orange to yellow in deeper and South Island specimens and here we have a total of 1 obs!
Collemopsidium is a genus of lichen that grows on Epopella plicata (a barnacle) and looks like black dots which we have all probably photographed and not realised it! Agian there is only 1 obs.
In the photos below the first one is the sponge washed up, the second one is the sponge in situ and the last shows the lichen on the Epopella plicata
Happy Hunting!