Morphological description (show/hide)
| Thin-walled, lamellate, cup shaped sponges, 95-190mm high, 70-170mm maximum diameter, lamellae 2-4.5mm thick. Lamellae typically do not rejoin completely, usually producing asymmetrical cups. Apical margins of lamellae usually even, but larger specimens may consist of 2-4 concentric cups inside each other, with lamellae forming spiral walls. Sponges attached to substrate by large, flat basal plates, up to 55mm maximum diameter, with short, thick stalk, 14-36mm long, 14-28mm diameter. | | Live colouration dark maroon brown (Munsell 2 | | Firm, slightly compressible texture, sandpaper-like to touch. | | Surface features: Smooth, even, uninterrupted by any surface processes. Microscopically surface with minute conules. Oscules not seen, but small evenly distributed pores, up to 0.8mm diameter, scattered over surface of lamellae. | | Skeleton slightly axially compressed, plumo-reticulate, with plumose component emphasized only slightly over reticulate component of skeleton: former consisting of multispicular ascending tracts, latter with paucispicular, connecting tracts, both enclosed within spongin fibres. Spongin fibres light but well developed, with small mesh sizes, up to 90ï¾µm maximum diameter. Mesohyl with moderate quantities of brown-pigmented collagenous spongin, and only few spicules dispersed outside fibres. Choanocyte chambers oval, 28-90ï¾µm diameter. | | membranous, without specialised spiculation, but with regularly spaced plumose brushes, composed of 3-8 oxeas, from ascending extra-axial tracts, protruding through surface for short distances, up to 100ï¾µm from ectosome. Position of plumose spicule brushes on surface coincides with minute surface conules. Subectosomal region predominantly plumose, slightly plumo-reticulate, with ascending plumose portion of skeletal tracts greatly emphasised over uni- or paucispicular reticulate, transverse, connecting tracts. Spongin fibre mesh size in peripheral skeleton up to 140ï¾µm diameter, more open than in axial region. | | Megascleres oxeas without any modifications, relatively long, slender, slightly curved centrally, tapering to sharp fusiform points, with very few examples bearing stepped points.Holotype: 167-252.2-270 x 5.2-11.9-15.0 Other 152-238.8-283 x 3.6-10.7-16.2 | | nil. |
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