Orange wall sponge explained

The orange wall sponge (Trachycladus spinispirulifer) is a species of sea sponge belonging to the order Trachycladida.[1] It is found in the south Atlantic and Indo-Pacific oceans. Around the South African coast, it is known from the Cape Peninsula to Cape Agulhas.[2]

Description

The orange wall sponge may grow to 20cm (10inches) thick and up to 2m (07feet) in length. It is a very large firm orange-skinned sponge with a yellow interior. It grows as a wall and does not show obvious oscula. The largely smooth surface is somewhat ridged and contains unevenly distributed rough patches.[3] It has a corky consistency.

Spicules

The following spicules make up the skeleton of this species:[4]

Skeleton

The sponge is made of scattered tylostyles with the heads on the substrate and the tips piecing the sponge surface. The ectosome is made of densely packed spinispires, with more scattered throughout the choanosome.

Distribution and habitat

This sponge is known from the south and west coasts of South Africa, Namibia, the South Atlantic, the Vema Seamount, Australia, New Zealand, Ternate, and Zanzibar. It lives on rocky reefs at depths of NaNm (-2,147,483,648feet). It is commonly found on vertical rock faces and in crevices.

Notes and References

  1. Samaai, T. and Gibbons, M.J. 2005. Demospongiae taxonomy and biodiversity of the Benguela region on the west coast of South Africa. Afr. Nat. Hist. 1(1):1-96
  2. Jones, Georgina. A field guide to the marine animals of the Cape Peninsula. SURG, Cape Town, 2008.
  3. Book: Atkinson, Lara J. Field guide to the offshore marine invertebrates of South Africa. Sink. Kerry J. 2018. South African Environmental Observation Network. 978-1-86868-098-6. Pretoria. 1037159161.
  4. Uriz, María Jesús (1988). Deep-water sponges from the continental shelf and slope of Namibia (south-west Africa). Classes Hexactinellida and Demospongiae. CSIC-Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM)