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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.
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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.
Picton, B.E., Morrow, C.C. & van Soest, R.W.B., 2011. [In] Sponges of Britain and Ireland http://www.habitas.org.uk/marinelife/sponge_guide/sponges.asp?item=C2740 |
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