| Penares sphaera | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Porifera |
| Class: | Demospongiae |
| Order: | Tetractinellida |
| Family: | Geodiidae |
| Genus: | Penares |
| Species: | P. sphaera |
| Binomial name | |
| Penares sphaera (Lendenfeld, 1907) | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Penares sphaera, the crater sponge, is a deep sea demosponge from southern Africa.
This pale sponge has a thick encrusting growth form. It ranges from white to pale peach to light grey. [2] [3] It is very hard, almost stony. [2] It does, however, tear easily. The surface looks smooth but has a rough texture. [3] White ringed ostioles are scattered across the surface and may be more clustered in some parts. [2] Oscules are abundant on the upper parts. It may grow to be 110 mm (4.3 in) long and 90 mm (3.5 in) wide. [3]
The following spicules make up the skeleton of this species: [2]
Dichotriaenes and envelop the surface. The longest rays face inwards. Oxeas and microxeas are scattered in the choanosome. The cortex is made of densely packed microxeas. [2]
This species is found off the coast of Namibia and off the West, South and East Coasts of South Africa. It grows on solid surfaces at depths of 107–500 m (351–1,640 ft). [2] [3]
This species is sometimes found growing on other sponges. [2] Molluscs may be found living within the sponge and invertebrates may be found living on the surface. [3]