Page 261 - (DK) Ocean - The Definitive Visual Guide

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CLASS HOMOSCLEROMORPHA
Flesh Sponge

Oscarella lobularis
HEIGHT About 0.3 in
(1 cm)
HABITAT
Sublittoral rock

DISTRIBUTION Mediterranean and south to Senegal
CLASS DEMOSPONGIAE
The blue color of this species is
Breadcrumb Sponge unusual among sponges but this species
can also be green, violet, or brown. It
Halichondria panicea grows as irregular lobules that look
WIDTH To more than and feel smooth and soft because it
12 in (30 cm) has no spicules. It doesn’t have many
DEPTH Shore to other skeletal fibers either and collapses
sublittoral zone when out of water. This genus of
HABITAT Hard surfaces sponges, along with six others, have CLASS DEMOSPONGIAE It sometimes grows as a single tube,
recently been separated out from the but it is more often seen as bunches
DISTRIBUTION Temperate coastal waters of demosponges and placed in their Tube Sponge of tubes joined at the base. The tips
northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean own class. A similar yellow sponge of the tubes are translucent and
that occurs around the UK is called Haliclona fascigera slightly rolled in. The color of this
The appearance of this soft encrusting by the same name but the two forms HEIGHT sponge is usually pinkish violet,
sponge varies from thin sheets to thick are thought to be different species. Up to 3 ft (1 m) although some specimens are pinkish
crusts and large lumps. On wave- DEPTH blue. When this sponge releases sperm,
exposed shores, it usually grows under Below 33 ft (10 m) it resembles smoking chimneys.
ledges as a thin, green crust, its osculae HABITAT The taxonomic status of this species
opening at the tops of small mounds. Coral reefs and its relationship to other species
Its green color is produced by DISTRIBUTION Tropical reef waters of western in the same family has not been fully
photosynthetic pigments in symbiotic Pacific; likely to be more widespread than shown determined, and it is listed under
algae in the sponge’s tissues. In deeper, various names in different sources.
shaded waters, the sponge is usually The elegant, tubular branches of this Such uncertainties are not unusual
a creamy yellow. In waters with strong beautiful sponge are easily torn, and in the study of sponges and mean that
currents, this sponge may cover large so it occurs only on deeper reef slopes, the exact distribution of this and many
rocky areas and kelp stems. where wave action is minimal. other species is yet to be established.

CLASS DEMOSPONGIAE CLASS DEMOSPONGIAE
Mediterranean Bath Coralline Sponge
Sponge Vaceletia ospreyensis
SIZE
Spongia officinalis
Not recorded
WIDTH DEPTH
Up to 14 in (35 cm)
At least 65 ft (20 m)
DEPTH HABITAT
3–165 ft (1–50 m)
Dark reef caves
HABITAT DISTRIBUTION Not fully known, but includes tropical
Rocks
waters of western Pacific
DISTRIBUTION Mediterranean, especially the
eastern part
Vaceletia ospreyensis is a living member
of the coralline sponges group, most
of which are known only from fossils.
Coralline sponges have a massive
skeleton made of calcium carbonate,
as well as silica spicules and organic
fibers. They were the dominant
reef-building organisms before the
CLASS CALCAREA lobed shape. Each sac has a large stony corals of modern reefs evolved.
opening—the osculum—through Once given a separate class (the
Lemon Sponge which used water flows out of the Sclerospongiae), they are now accepted
sponge. Through the osculum, as part of the Demospongiae.
Leucetta chagosensis entrances to the water-intake channels
WIDTH Up to that run throughout the sponge can
The Mediterranean bath sponge, 8 in (20 cm) be seen. The lemon sponge belongs to
as its name suggests, is collected and DEPTH Shallow a small class of sponges in which the
processed for use as a bath sponge. mineral skeleton is composed entirely
HABITAT Steep coral
It grows as rounded cushions and reef and rock slopes of calcium carbonate spicules, most of
mounds, and is usually dull gray to which have three or four rays. The
black outside but yellowish white DISTRIBUTION Tropical reef waters of western densely packed spicules give the
inside. It can be used as a sponge Pacific sponge a solid texture. Like all
because it has no sharp skeletal sponges, this sponge is hermaphroditic. OCEAN LIFE
spicules, just a network of tough fibers The lemon sponge is a beautiful, It incubates its eggs inside and releases
made from an elastic material called bright yellow color and is easy to spot them as live larvae through the
spongin. Huge numbers were once underwater. It grows in the form of osculum. Each larva is a hollow ball
harvested, but today they are rare. sacs, which may have an irregular, of cells with flagellae for swimming.