Orange wall sponge

Orange wall sponge
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Porifera
Class:	Demospongiae
Order:	Trachycladida
Family:	Trachycladidae
Genus:	Trachycladus
Species:	T. spinispirulifer
Binomial name
	Trachycladus spinispirulifer; (Carter, 1879)
Synonyms
	Spirastrella dilatataKieschnick, 1896; Spirastrella spinispirulifera(Carter, 1879); Suberites spinispiruliferCarter, 1879; Trachycladus spinispirulifera [lapsus];

Last updated December 28, 2023

The orange wall sponge (Trachycladus spinispirulifer) is a species of sea sponge belonging to the order Trachycladida.^[1] It is found in the south Atlantic and Indo-Pacific oceans. Around the South African coast, it is known from the Cape Peninsula to Cape Agulhas.^[2]

Description

The orange wall sponge may grow to 20 cm (7.9 in) thick and up to 2 m (6.6 ft) in length. It is a very large firm orange-skinned sponge with a yellow interior. It grows as a wall and does not show obvious oscula.^[1] The largely smooth surface is somewhat ridged and contains unevenly distributed rough patches.^[3] It has a corky consistency.^[3]

Spicules

The following spicules make up the skeleton of this species:^[4]

Long, thin and slightly curved tylostyles (megascleres with a point at one end and a knob at the other).
Characteristic spinispires. These are mostly c-shaped with the ends curved in a different plane to the rest of the spicule. Spines occur on only the convex surface.

Skeleton

The sponge is made of scattered tylostyles with the heads on the substrate and the tips piecing the sponge surface. The ectosome is made of densely packed spinispires, with more scattered throughout the choanosome.^[4]

Distribution and habitat

This sponge is known from the south and west coasts of South Africa, Namibia, the South Atlantic, the Vema Seamount, Australia, New Zealand, Ternate, and Zanzibar.^[1] It lives on rocky reefs at depths of 5–350 m (16–1,148 ft).^[2] It is commonly found on vertical rock faces and in crevices.^[1]

Related Research Articles

The crumb-of-bread sponge is a species of sea sponge in the class Demospongiae.

The grey wall sponge is a species of sea sponge belonging to the family Ancorinidae. It is found around the coast of Southern Africa from the Northern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal. It is an endemic species.

The red encrusting sponge is a species of sea sponge. It is known only from the South African coast, on both sides of the Cape Peninsula. It is endemic to this region.

The tree sponge is a species of demosponge. It is known from the west coast of South Africa to Cape Agulhas. It is endemic to this region.

The brain sponge is a species of marine demosponge in the family Isodictyidae. This sponge is known from the west coast of South Africa to Port Elizabeth. It is endemic to this region.

The flat leaf sponge is a species of marine demosponge in the family Isodictyidae. This sponge is known from the west coast of South Africa to False Bay. It is endemic to this region.

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Haliclona anonyma, the turret sponge or tubular fan sponge, is a species of demosponge. It is endemic to South Africa, where it occurs between the Cape Peninsula and Sodwana Bay.

Haliclona stilensis, the encrusting turret sponge, is a species of demosponge. It is known around the southern African coast, from Namibia to the South African south coast.

The black stink sponge, is a species of sea sponge in the family Irciniidae. This sponge is known around the Australian coast and around South Africa from the Cape Peninsula to Cape Agulhas.

Myxilla incrustans is a species of demosponge. It is an encrusting species and is usually yellow.

Haliclona submonilifera, or the bubble bead sponge, is a deep-water demosponge from the continental shelf and slope off south-west Africa.

Hamacantha esperoides is a species of demosponge. It is commonly known as the fibrous sponge. It occurs off the southern and western coasts of South Africa, off the coast of Namibia, and off the southeast coast of South America.

Inflatella belli, or the gooseberry sponge, is a species of demosponge that appears to be restricted to the southern hemisphere, where it is widespread. It occurs from the coast of Namibia and the Indo-pacific, down to the Subantarctic and Antarctic regions.

Mycale anisochela, the brain sponge, is a species of demosponge from South Africa and Namibia.

Polymastia bouryesnaultae, the knobbly sponge, is a small and cryptic species of demosponge from South Africa and Namibia.

Suberites dandelenae, the amorphous solid sponge, is a species of deep-sea demosponge from South Africa and Namibia.

Penares sphaera, the crater sponge, is a deep sea demosponge from southern Africa.

Tetilla capillosa, the furry sponge, is a species of demosponge from southern Africa.

Rossella antarctica is a relatively small species of glass sponge. It is widely distributed in the southern hemisphere, particularly in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions.

References

1 2 3 4 Samaai, T. and Gibbons, M.J. 2005. Demospongiae taxonomy and biodiversity of the Benguela region on the west coast of South Africa. Afr. Nat. Hist. 1(1):1-96
1 2 Jones, Georgina. A field guide to the marine animals of the Cape Peninsula. SURG, Cape Town, 2008. ISBN 978-0-620-41639-9
1 2 Atkinson, Lara J; Sink, Kerry J (2018). Field guide to the offshore marine invertebrates of South Africa (PDF). Pretoria: South African Environmental Observation Network. ISBN 978-1-86868-098-6. OCLC 1037159161.
1 2 Uriz, María Jesús (1988). Deep-water sponges from the continental shelf and slope of Namibia (south-west Africa). Classes Hexactinellida and Demospongiae. CSIC-Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM)

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[Samaai-1] 1 2 3 4 Samaai, T. and Gibbons, M.J. 2005. Demospongiae taxonomy and biodiversity of the Benguela region on the west coast of South Africa. Afr. Nat. Hist. 1(1):1-96

[Jones_2008-2] 1 2 Jones, Georgina. A field guide to the marine animals of the Cape Peninsula. SURG, Cape Town, 2008. ISBN 978-0-620-41639-9

[:SAEON-3] 1 2 Atkinson, Lara J; Sink, Kerry J (2018). Field guide to the offshore marine invertebrates of South Africa (PDF). Pretoria: South African Environmental Observation Network. ISBN 978-1-86868-098-6. OCLC 1037159161.

[:Uriz-4] 1 2 Uriz, María Jesús (1988). Deep-water sponges from the continental shelf and slope of Namibia (south-west Africa). Classes Hexactinellida and Demospongiae. CSIC-Instituto de Ciencias del Mar (ICM)

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