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
Chelonaplysilla noevus (Carter, 1876)
Fig. 4
Aplysina noevus
Carter, 1876: 229.
Description.
Growth form encrusting (less than 2 mm in height). Surface conulose, ornamented by a network of rounded meshes (200-300
µm
in diameter) loaded of inclusions; inside the meshes surface is smooth and perforated by small apertures (15-40
µm
in diameter). Colour from grey to violet (
Vacelet 1959
,
1969
). Dendritic modules (tree-shaped) of the skeleton with fibres apically branched (80
µm
in diameter at their base, 20
µm
at the apical branch level).
Habitat.
Cave, coralligenous community, rocky bottom. On small pebbles or epibiotic on
Microcosmus vulgaris
Heller, 1877,
Corallium rubrum
(L., 1759) and
Sarcotragus foetidus
. Bathymetric range 1-150 m.
Mediterranean caves.
Blava, Calamars, Misidacis caves (Balearic Sea); Endoume, Figuier,
Tremies
caves (Gulf of Lions) (
Pouliquen 1972
;
Uriz et al. 1992
;
Marti
et al. 2004
;
Pronzato and Manconi 2011
).
Figure 4
Chelonaplysilla noevus
. a original illustration of the type specimen encrusting with conulose surface b close-up of the sponge surface with mineral debris and smooth rounded inhalant areas (lighter in the scheme) bearing small ostia; a modified from
Carter (1876)
b modified from
Topsent (1925)
.