| Tetilla casula | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Porifera |
| Class: | Demospongiae |
| Order: | Tetractinellida |
| Family: | Tetillidae |
| Genus: | Tetilla |
| Species: | T. casula |
| Binomial name | |
| Tetilla casula (Carter, 1871) | |
| Synonyms [1] | |
| |
Tetilla casula, the volcano sponge, is a species of demosponge from the south coast of South Africa.
The volcano sponge consists of a pale yellow to light green-grey hemispherical head on a conical or umbrella-like expansion that is embedded in the sand. [2] [3] It tends to grow up to 30 mm (1.2 in) tall and have a base with a circumference of up to 50 mm (2.0 in). [2]
The head is rough and covered in lines of projecting spicules. These projections tend to be the longest at the bottom, where they are continuous with those of the conical expansion. Those at the top, by contrast, tend to be short and upright. [3] Slightly raised semi-spherical oscules are clustered at the top. [2]
The conical expansion is smooth and thins towards the circumference, where they form a circular fringed border. This is mostly concealed by the sand in which this species lives. It is made of long overlapping spicules arranged in parallel bundles. They radiate from a common center in continuation with the lowest spicules of the head, extending downwards into the sand. [3]
Pores mostly occur on the upper part of the head while vents are found in the larger polygonal interspaces at the base. The conival expansion has a few pores and vents. [3]
Five kinds of spicules make up the skeleton of this species. These are: [3]
Only the two longest spicule types are found in the conical expansion. The fringe of this expansion is formed solely of the forked ends of the longest spicules. The three smaller spicule types are found only in the head, where they dominate. Shorter versions of the spicules that make up the expansion are also found in this region. [3]
This species is known from the south coast of South Africa. [2] While it has been found between KwaZulu-Natal and the Cape of Good Hope, it is most common between Gqeberha and the Cape. It is found growing on sandy substrates. [3] It is found living at depths of 4–77 m (13–253 ft). [2]
Sponges, the members of the phylum Porifera, are a basal animal clade as a sister of the diploblasts. They are multicellular organisms that have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate through them, consisting of jelly-like mesohyl sandwiched between two thin layers of cells.
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.
Anheteromeyenia argyrosperma is a freshwater sponge found across North America.
Arturia tenuipilosa is a species of calcareous sponge from Sri Lanka. The name refers to the very thin, hair-like oxea present in this species.
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.
Spongilla lacustris is a species of freshwater sponge from the family Spongillidae. It inhabits freshwater rivers and lakes, often growing under logs or rocks. Lacustris is a Latin word meaning "related to or associated with lakes". The species ranges from North America to Europe and Asia. It is the most common freshwater sponge in central Europe. It is the most widespread sponge in Northern Britain, and is one of the most common species of sponges in lakes and canals. Spongilla lacustris have the ability to reproduce both sexually and asexually. They become dormant during winter. The growth form ranges from encrusting, to digitate, to branched, depending upon the quality of the habitat.
Agelas flabelliformis, also known as the elephant ear sponge, is a species of demosponge. It takes the form of a large leathery slender flap and is found in the Caribbean area at depths down to 100 metres (330 ft).
Neopetrosia subtriangularis is a species of marine petrosiid sponges native to the waters off Florida and the Caribbean Sea. They superficially resemble staghorn corals.
Synodontis melanostictus is a species of upside-down catfish endemic to Lake Tanganyika and its tributaries. It has been found in Zambia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and Burundi. It was first described by British-Belgian zoologist George Albert Boulenger in 1906, based upon a specimen from the Lofubu River. The species name "melanostictus" is derived from a combination of the Greek melano, meaning black, and the Greek stiktos, meaning punctured or spotted. This refers to the black spotted pattern that occurs on the body of this species.
Geodia megastrella is a species of sponge in the family Geodiidae. It is a type of demosponge found in the deep temperate waters of the North Atlantic Ocean. It has characteristic stellar-shaped large spicules coined 'megastrellum', hence its name. The species was first described by Henry John Carter in 1876, after dredging it up aboard H.M.S. 'Porcupine', near the Cape St. Vincent in Portugal.
Biemna variantia is a species of sponge in the family Biemnidae. It is native to the northwestern Atlantic Ocean, the northeastern Atlantic Ocean, the North Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. This species was first described in 1858 by the British naturalist James Scott Bowerbank, who gave it the name Halichondria variantia. It was later moved to the genus Biemna and is the type species of the genus. The type locality is Tenby, Wales.
Hymeniacidon kitchingi is a species of sponge in the class Demospongiae. It is found in shallow waters in the northeastern Atlantic Ocean. This species was first described in 1935 by the British zoologist Maurice Burton. He placed it in a new genus because of its unusual spicules, and named it Rhaphidostyla kitchingi, in honour of Dr J. A. Kitching, who had collected the original specimen. It was later transferred to the genus Hymeniacidon.
Vosmaeropsis mackinnoni is a species of calcareous sponge in the family Heteropiidae, and was first described in 1924 by Arthur Dendy and Leslie M. Frederick. It is known only from its type locality in the Abrolhos Islands, in Western Australia.
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 is a genus of demosponges in the family Tetillidae. It is widely distributed. They are mainly found in deeper habitats.
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.