| Rossella antarctica | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Porifera |
| Class: | Hexactinellida |
| Order: | Lyssacinosida |
| Family: | Rossellidae |
| Genus: | Rossella |
| Species: | R. antarctica |
| Binomial name | |
| Rossella antarctica Carter, 1872 | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
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.
This off-white to grey sponge may grow up to 300 mm (12 in) long. [2] It has a semispherical to ovoid form with a large, deep oscule on the upper surface. [2] [3] The upper part also has the largest diameter of the organism. [3] The body is dense and contains relatively few canals. [4] The whole surface is covered with long, hair like spicules that may protrude up to 30 mm (1.2 in) from the surface. [2] These spicules are most dense at the base, where they entangle to form a stalk that attaches the sponge to the substrate. [5]
The following spicules make up the skeleton of this species: [3] [5]
While this species is mostly known from the Antarctic, it has also been found off the coats of South Africa, Namibia, South America, and New Zealand. [2] [5] It has been found at depths of 8–2,000 m (26–6,562 ft). [2]
Along with Anoxycalyx joubini and Rossella nuda and Rossella racovitzae , Rossella antarctica is one of the main hexactinellid sponges that comprise the bulk of Antarctic benthic biomass. [6] Consequently, they form an important part of these communities. Individuals house a variety of invertebrate infauna, with an average of nearly 800 individuals per 100 ml. [4] These include species belonging to a variety of taxa, including foraminiferans, polychaetes, arthropods, amphipods, copepods, nematodes, and molluscs. At least 68 species have been found - more than in any of the other mentioned species. [4] This includes Halacarellus obsoletus , a mite that is believed to be an obligate associate of glass sponges. [7] While the chemical defenses against predation in glass sponges are poorly known, Rossella antarctica has been observed to contain a chemical compound that has been shown to act as a deterrent against Odontaster validus at the very least. [8]
This species has been observed to reproduce by budding. [6]
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.
Hexactinellid sponges are sponges with a skeleton made of four- and/or six-pointed siliceous spicules, often referred to as glass sponges. They are usually classified along with other sponges in the phylum Porifera, but some researchers consider them sufficiently distinct to deserve their own phylum, Symplasma. Some experts believe glass sponges are the longest-lived animals on earth; these scientists tentatively estimate a maximum age of up to 15,000 years.
Venus' flower basket is a glass sponge in the phylum Porifera. It is a marine sponge found in the deep waters of the Pacific Ocean, usually at depths below 500 m (1,600 ft). Like other sponges, they feed by filtering sea water to capture plankton and marine snow. Similar to other glass sponges, they build their skeletons out of silica, which forms a unique lattice structure of spicules. The sponges are usually between 10 cm (3.9 in) and 30 cm (12 in) tall, and their bodies act as refuge for their mutualist shrimp partners. This body structure is of great interest in materials science as the optical and mechanical properties are in some ways superior to man-made materials. Little is known regarding their reproduction habits, however fluid dynamics of their body structure likely influence reproduction and it is hypothesized that they may be hermaphroditic.
Sponge reefs are reefs produced by sea sponges. All modern sponge reefs are formed by hexactinellid sponges, which have an endoskeleton made of silica spicules and are often referred to as "glass sponges", while historically the non-spiculed, calcite-skeletoned archaeocyathid and stromatoporoid sponges were the primary reef-builders.
The cloud sponge(Aphrocallistes vastus) is a species of sea sponge in the class Hexactinellida. It is a deep-water reef-forming animal. The species was first described by F.E. Schulze in 1886.
Spicules are structural elements found in most sponges. The meshing of many spicules serves as the sponge's skeleton and thus it provides structural support and potentially defense against predators.
The orange wall sponge is a species of sea sponge belonging to the order Trachycladida. 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.
Reticulosa is an extinct order of sea sponges in the class Hexactinellida and the subclass Amphidiscophora. Reticulosans were diverse in shape and size, similar to their modern relatives, the amphidiscosidans. Some were smooth and attached to a surface at a flat point, others were polyhedral or ornamented with nodes, many were covered in bristles, and a few were even suspended above the seabed by a rope-like anchor of braided glass spicules.
Cinachyra antarctica is a species of antarctic sponge belonging to the family Tetillidae. It was first described by H.J. Carter in 1872. A 2002 study in Antarctica calculated that this sponge and another antarctic sponge, Anoxycalyx joubini, have amazingly long lifespans surpassing 1,550 years in C. antarctica and 15,000 years in A. joubini. A. joubini lives in deeper waters than C. antarctica. Antarctic sponges have such lifespans, probably because of their surroundings, living at 100–2,000 m (330–6,560 ft) below the surface, at extremely cold temperature and constant pressure. This may slow down their growth rate and other biological processes. Their growth rate may remain extremely slow over their remarkable lifespans as a result, as in a caught specimen of A. joubini which did not show any growth in a span of 10 years. C. antarctica lives at the bottom, as a benthic, sessile creature. Complete specimens have large, visible pores and an overall yellowish appearance with hair-like structures covering some parts next to the pores, giving it the look of a giant virus. Caught specimens are usually incomplete and rarely measure more than 2.5–3 cm.
Rossellidae is a family of glass sponges belonging to the order Lyssacinosa. The family has a cosmopolitan distribution and is found at a large range of depths.
Amphidiscosida is an order of hexactinellids. The Amphidiscosida are commonly regarded as the only living sponges in the subclass Amphidiscophora.
Sceptrulophora is an order of hexactinellid sponges. They are characterized by sceptrules, a type of microsclere with a single straight rod terminating at a bundle of spines or knobs. An anchor- or nail-shaped sceptrule is called a clavule. A fork-shaped sceptrule, ending at a few large tines, is called a scopule. A broom-shaped sceptrule, ending at many small bristles, is called a sarule.
Bolosoma is a genus of pedunculated siliceous sponges belonging to the family Euplectellidae. This genus lives in deep-sea environments and provides a habitat for a plethora of other benthic species, giving Bolosoma an incredibly important ecological role in the ecosystems it is a part of.
Lychniscosida is an order of sponges belonging to the class Hexactinellida and subclass Hexasterophora. They are dictyonal sponges characterized by the presence of additional struts at the nodes of the skeleton. These struts create octahedral frames, known as lychniscs ("lanterns").
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.
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.
Rosella is a genus of glass sponges in the family Rossellidae. It is found in the Antarctic and sub-Antarctic regions.
The giant volcano sponge is a species of Antarctic sponge. It is one of the largest sponges in the world which can grow up to a diameter of 1.5 metres and 1.95 metres in height. The species may have an extremely long lifespan, with estimates of up to 15,000 years. A. joubini occurs in deeper waters than the similar species Cinachyra antarctica, which is also very long-lived. Antarctic sponges live at 100–2,000 m (330–6,560 ft) below the surface, in extremely cold temperatures and constant pressure. This may slow down their growth rate and other biological processes because one caught specimen of A. joubini did not show any growth in a span of 10 years.