An overview of the Mediterranean cave-dwelling horny sponges (Porifera, Demospongiae) Author Manconi, Renata Author Cadeddu, Barbara Author Ledda, Fabio Author Pronzato, Roberto text ZooKeys 2013 281 1 68 http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.281.4171 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.281.4171 1313-2970-281-1 Spongia virgultosa (Schmidt, 1868) Fig. 29 Euspongia virgultosa Schmidt, 1868: 4. Description. Growth form encrusting (ca. 2-5 cm in diameter), rarely massive (up to 10-15 cm), usually emerging from the substratum only with inhalant and exhalant funnels (5-15 mm high, 3-5 mm in diameter). Sponge surface irregularly conulose (1-2 mm high, 24 mm apart). Colour from light to very dark brown. Primary fibres (40-50 µm ) cored by mineral debris, extremely rare and often absent; secondaries extremely variable (10-50 µm ). Habitat. Cave, coralligenous community, detritic/muddy bottom, lagoon, artificial reef, Posidonia oceanica meadow, epibiotic on Pinna nobilis . Generally covered by epibionts in turbulent superficial water. Bathymetric range 1-50 m. Mediterranean caves. La Catedral, J2, Blue, Meda Petita, Petita de la Vaca, Misidacis caves (Balearic Sea); Galatea*, Falco*, Bisbe* caves (Sardinian Sea); Bear, Troc, Endoume, Figuiers, Tremies caves (Gulf of Lions); Punta Carega, Manara, Zoagli-Chiavari caves (Ligurian Sea); Azzurra, Isolotto, Mago, Lacco Ameno, Misteri, Gaiola, Tuffo Tuffo, Mitigliano caves (Central Tyrrhenian Sea); Porto Cesareo Cave (Ionian Sea); Croatian caves (Northern Adriatic Sea); Pagliai, Viole, Pecore, Arenile, Coccodrillo, Rondinelle, Bue Marino, Piccolo Ciolo, Marinella, Regina caves (Southern Adriatic Sea); Trypia Spilia, Fara , Ftelio caves (Aegean Sea) ( Sara 1960a , b , 1961a , 1964a ; Labate 1965 ; Ruetzler 1966 ; Boury-Esnault 1971 ; Pouliquen 1972 ; Pansini et al. 1977 ; Pulitzer-Finali and Pronzato 1980 ; Pansini and Pronzato 1982 ; Bibiloni et al. 1984a , 1989 ; Balduzzi et al. 1989 ; Corriero et al. 2000 , 2004 ; Marti et al. 2004 ; Pronzato and Manconi 2011 ; Bakran-Petricioli et al. 2012 ; Cadeddu 2012 ; Gerovasileiou and Voultsiadou 2012 ). Figure 29 Spongia virgultosa . a schematic drawing of the aquiferous system architecture and direction of incurrent and excurrent water flow b low magnification of the skeleton (LM) supporting a funnel c' spongin skeletons of some specimens showing the exhalant funnels (arrows) of the aquiferous system c'' blowup of skeleton skeleton characterised by the absence of cored primary fibres (LM) d exhalant funnel (SEM) e inhalant funnel (SEM). c-e) modified from Pronzato et al. (1998) . d, e, f scale bars in µm .