Aplysina fistularis

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Aplysina fistularis
Aplysina fistularis (Yellow tube sponge).jpg
Scientific classification OOjs UI icon edit-ltr.svg
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Porifera
Class: Demospongiae
Order: Verongiida
Family: Aplysinidae
Genus: Aplysina
Species:
A. fistularis
Binomial name
Aplysina fistularis
(Pallas, 1766)
Synonyms
List
  • Aplysina aggregataTopsent, 1932
  • Spongia fistularisPallas, 1766
  • Spongia tubaeformisLamarck, 1814
  • Verongia fistularis(Pallas, 1766)

Aplysina fistularis (A. fistularis), also known as the yellow tube sponge or yellow sponge, [1] is a species of sea sponge in the order Verongiida. [2] Aplysina fistularis is a golden or orange-brown color with a conulose surface. The animal is abundant in the Caribbean, where it is commonly found in reefs of open water areas. [1] This sponge was first described by the Prussian zoologist Peter Simon Pallas in 1766.

Contents

Description

Aplysina fistularis consists of one or more yellow tube-like structures that arise from a closed base and are sessile. The sponge has wide oscula and thin walls with ridged surfaces. [3] Each tube is rarely over 30 centimetres (12 in) in clear water but can reach 50 centimetres (20 in) in turbid-zone reefs. Unlike the related species Aplysina insularis , A. fistularis does not develop rope-like projections around its tubes, although it may show some branching tendrils. [4] A. fistularis does not have a silicate skeletal structure like most sponges, and was used as a bath sponge before the invention of synthetic sponges. [3] A. fistularis produces antimicrobial activity year round, and has the potential to help future developments of antibiotics in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. [5]

The primary predator of A. fistularis is the hawksbill turtle. [3]

Reproduction

Aplysina fistularis can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Asexual reproduction usually occurs only if a piece of the body is broken off. Newly formed sponges require a hard surface to attach to and grow on. If a reef is heavily disturbed, such as being covered by algae or sediment, A. fistularis may struggle to establish itself and grow. [3]

In The SpongeBob Musical , the popular animated character SpongeBob SquarePants is revealed to be an Aplysina fistularis. [6]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sponge</span> Animals of the phylum Porifera

Sponges or sea sponges are marine invertebrates of the metazoan phylum Porifera, a basal animal clade and a sister taxon of the diploblasts. They are sessile filter feeders that are bound to the seabed, and are one of the most ancient members of macrobenthos, with many historical species being important reef-building organisms.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Coral reef</span> Outcrop of rock in the sea formed by the growth and deposit of stony coral skeletons

A coral reef is an underwater ecosystem characterized by reef-building corals. Reefs are formed of colonies of coral polyps held together by calcium carbonate. Most coral reefs are built from stony corals, whose polyps cluster in groups.

<i>Agelas clathrodes</i> Species of sponge

Agelas clathrodes, also known as the orange elephant ear sponge, is a species of sea sponge. It lives on reefs in the Caribbean, usually more than 10 metres (33 ft) below the surface of the ocean. It takes various forms, and its color is reddish orange.

Arturia canariensis, commonly known as the yellow calcareous sponge, is a species of sponge in the family Clathrinidae. It is found in shallow seas in the Canary Islands, Cape Verde, the Adriatic Sea and the Caribbean Sea. The specific epithet "canariensis" was given to this species because it was first described from Lanzarote in the Canary Islands.

<i>Tethya aurantium</i> Species of sponge

Tethya aurantium, also known as the golf ball sponge or orange puffball sponge, is a species of sea sponge belonging to the family Tethyidae. It is spherical in shape, with a warty surface, and grows to about 10 cm in diameter. Oscula are present on the upper surface. The surface has sharp protruding spicules which can cause skin irritation if touched.

<i>Callyspongia aculeata</i> Species of sponge

Callyspongia (Cladochalina) aculeata, commonly known as the branching vase sponge is a species of sea sponge in the family Callyspongiidae. Poriferans are typically characterized by ostia, pores that filter out plankton, with an osculum as the opening which water leaves through, and choanocytes trap food particles.

Cliona delitrix is a species of burrowing demosponge belonging to the family Clionaidae. It is found in shallow water in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.

Agelas schmidti, commonly known as the brown tubular sponge, is a species of demosponge. It occurs at moderate depths in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea and often has a colonial coral growing over the surface. The type locality is Puerto Rico.

<i>Parazoanthus swiftii</i> Species of coral

Parazoanthus swiftii, commonly known as the golden zoanthid, is a species of coral in the order Zoantharia which grows symbiotically on several species of sponge. It is found in shallow waters in the Caribbean Sea and western Atlantic Ocean.

Iotrochota birotulata, commonly known as the green finger sponge, is a species of sea sponge in the family Iotrochotidae. It is found in shallow waters in the Caribbean Sea.

Neofibularia nolitangere, commonly known as the touch-me-not sponge, is a species of sea sponge in the family Biemnidae. It is found in shallow waters in the Western Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea.

Aplysina insularis, commonly known as the yellow-green candle sponge or yellow candle sponge, is a species of sea sponge found on reefs in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico.

<i>Mussa angulosa</i> Species of coral

Mussa is a genus of stony coral in the family Faviidae. It is monotypic, being represented by the single species Mussa angulosa, commonly known as the spiny or large flower coral. It is found on reefs in shallow waters in the Caribbean Sea, the Bahamas and the Gulf of Mexico.

<i>Callyspongia crassa</i> Species of sponge

Callyspongia crassa, commonly known as prickly tube-sponge, is a species of sponge found from the Red Sea to the Seychelles. Its wide flexible brown tube with exterior protuberances can appear as a single tube or as clusters of tubes and can reach up to 50 centimeters in size. Like many other sea sponges, it is primarily used for marine drugs as they have many bioactive components and properties. They also play an important role in marine reef and benthic communities, as they constantly filter water and act as habitats for smaller organisms. As sea sponges, they have the ability to reproduce both sexually and asexually.

<i>Aplysina</i> Genus of sponges

Aplysina is a genus of sea sponges in the order Verongiida. It was first authenticated and described by Giovanni Domenico Nardo in 1834.

<i>Aplysina aerophoba</i> Species of sponge

Aplysina aerophoba is a species of sponge in the family Aplysinidae. It is a yellow, tube-forming or encrusting sponge and is native to the eastern Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea; the type locality is the Adriatic Sea.

<i>Briareum asbestinum</i> Species of coral

Briareum asbestinum, commonly known as the corky sea finger, is a species of a soft coral in the family Briareidae. It inhabits coral reefs and rocky bottoms in the Caribbean, Bahamas, and Florida, often growing to 30 cm at depths of one to 40 metres.

<i>Aplysina fulva</i> Species of sponge

Aplysina fulva, known as the scattered pore rope sponge, is a species of sponge in the family Aplysinidae. The species is found in the Caribbean Sea as well as off the coast of Brazil.

<i>Aplysina cauliformis</i> Species of sponge

Aplysina cauliformis, also known as the row pore rope sponge or rope sponge, is a species of sea sponge in the family Aplysinidae. It is commonly found in shallow reefs across the tropical Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. This sponge typically exhibits a brownish-pink or purple coloration and branches as parts of its morphology. It was first described by H.J. Carter in 1882 under the name Luffaria cauliformis.

References

  1. 1 2 "Yellow tube sponge (Aplysina fistularis)". Interactive Guide to Caribbean Diving. Marine Species Identification Portal. Retrieved 2012-10-15.
  2. Van Soest RW, Boury-Esnault N, Hooper JN, Rützler K, de Voogd NJ, de Glasby BA, Hajdu E, Pisera AB, Manconi R, Schoenberg C, Janussen D, Tabachnick KR, Klautau M, Picton B, Kelly M, Vacelet J, eds. (2022). "Aplysina fistularis (Pallas, 1766)". World Porifera database. World Register of Marine Species . Retrieved 21 April 2022.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "Yellow Tube Sponge". Oceana. Retrieved 2022-12-13.
  4. "Aplysina fistularis". Coralpedia (University of Warwick).
  5. Betancourt-Lozano, Miguel; González-Farias, Fernando; Bárbara González-Acosta; Garcı́a-Gasca, Alejandra; Bastida-Zavala, José Rolando (1998). ""Variation of antimicrobial activity of the sponge Aplysina fistularis (Pallas, 1766) and its relation to associated fauna"". Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. 223: 1–18. doi:10.1016/s0022-0981(97)00153-6.
  6. Jarrow, Kyle (June 7, 2016). The SpongeBob Musical (Broadway musical). Tina Landau. French Narrator: This fruit is home to one of the most fascinating sea creatures of all—Aplysina fistualis[ sic ], the yellow sponge.