Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay Author Rützler, Klaus Author Piantoni, Carla Author Van, Rob W. M. Author Díaz, Cristina text Zootaxa 2014 3805 1 1 129 journal article http://dx.doi.org/10.11646/zootaxa.3805.1.1 55b70366-a93b-420b-bee8-2a947098a45f 1175-5326 249983 F0B7652D-6E64-44CE-9181-5A10C8D594C7 Topsentia bahamensis Diaz, Pomponi & van Soest, 1993 ( Figure 2 b) Synonymy and references. Topsentia bahamensis Diaz, Pomponi & van Soest, 1993 : 290 , fig. 11, 14. Material. USNM 1229089 , Curlew Bank forereef cave, 20 m ; C. Piantoni col. 2 Jul 2007 . USNM 1229090 , Carrie Bow Cay forereef crevice, on wall, 25 m ; M. C. Diaz col. 8 Sep 2009 . USNM 1229091 , Curlew Bank, forereef cave, ceiling, 1 m from entrance, 20 m ; C. Piantoni and M. Parrish col. 22 Aug 2012 . USNM 1229092 , Curlew Bank forereef cave, 18 m ; C. Piantoni and M. Parrish col. 25 Aug 2012 . External morphology. A whitish knob, plate, or cup protruding from the cave wall, also penetrating crevices in rock, up to 3 cm thick, 9–12 cm maximum width by length. Very hard, brittle consistency, macroscopically no obvious oscula or ostia. Color white, to off-white (grayish to brown), with yellow-orange symbiotic zoanthids ( Parazoanthus swiftii ) covering part of the surface. Skeleton structure. Spicules densely packed in criss-cross fashion throughout the body, generally directed in some angle toward the sponge surface. Many of the smaller spicules tend to be near or in the ectosome, more or less tangential. Spicules. Fusiform oxeas, straight or curved, with sharp points. Size varies greatly but two main classes can be distinguished, I: 540–890 x 15–32 ( 721 x 23 ) Μm; II: 115–300 x 3–12 ( 243 x 8 ) Μm Ecology. On deep reef and rock bottoms, more shallow in caves, 18– 160 m . Distribution. Bahamas and Caribbean. Comments. The type material was collected my manned submersibles from deep-reef areas in the Bahamas ( 40–160 m ). These are the first samples from shallower cave habitats.