Tethya samaaii Ribeiro & Muricy, 2011 is a massive, irregularly globular or sub-spherical sponge with basal rooting processes or a disc-like attachment (Figure 1A). It was described from Oudekraal, on the west coast of South Africa as Tethya rubra Samaai & Gibbons, 2005 based on specimens collected during two surveys in 1996 (Samaai & Gibbons 2005). This species was later reported from Algoa Bay, on the southeast coast of South Africa by Waterworth et al. (2017). The name rubra is pre-occupied by another species of Tethya, T. rubra Ribeiro & Muricy, 2004 from Abrolhos Archipelago in Bahia State, Brazil (see Ribeiro & Muricy 2004, 2011; Muricy et al. 2011)