Quasillina brevis (Bowerbank, 1866)

Order : HADROMERIDA

Family : Polymastiidae

Form: Small stalked sponges with elongate-oval bladder-like main body. Up to 5.5 cm high and 2.5 cm in widest diameter.

Colour: Pale, transparent orange.

Consistency: Consistency of surface tough, leathery, inside soft, almost hollow.

Surface: Surface optically smooth, faintly velvety.

Apertures: There is a single small oscule at the apex, slightly elevated above the surface.

Internal characters

Skeleton: Small tylostyles form an ectosomal palisade carried by tangentially arranged intercrossing bundles of large tylostyles. Largest tylostyles form bundles irregularly crossing the large organic inner parts.

Spicules: Tylostyles to strongyloxeas, with barely developed elongate heads and shaft gradually constricted subterminally, fusiform, with gradually tapering sharp points, in two size classes: 800-1000 x 3-20μm, and 200 x 3μm.

Habitat: On rocks, 15-700m.

Distribution: Sweden, Norway, Faroes, Roscoff, SW Ireland; Mediterranean.

Distribution Map: NBN map : National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

Identity: The shape in combination with the skeletal structure make this an easily recognizable sponge.

Editors: Christine Morrow, Bernard Picton & Rob van Soest.