Species Overview

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KeyPics/cc030A.jpg

Clathria (Clathria) prolifera (Ellis & Solander, 1786).

Synonyms:
Micriociona prolifera (Ellis & Solander, 1786).

SPONGE:
Shape: Encrusting when immature. Made up of anastomosing branches when mature
Color_Alive: Red orange brown
HABITAT:
Benthic Region: Marine: Attached to Floating Docks
Distribution: Central California. Introduced

CHARACTERS

Skeleton:
Composition: Silicate
Ectosome:
Architecture: Smaller Styles to Subtylostyles grouped at surface.
Choanosome:
Architecture: Ascending plumose tracts of large styles to Subtylostyles with terminal tufts that extend beyond the surface. Acanthostyles sparsely echinating tracts.
Megasclere:
Shape: Acanthostyle
Length: 80 - -90 µ
Width: 7.0--8.0 µ
Megasclere:
Shape: Style to Subtylostyle
Length: 155 - -175 µ
Width: 3.0- -3.5 µ
Megasclere:
Shape: Style to Subtylostyle with microspined heads
Length: 180- -225 µ
Width: 10.0- -12.5 µ
Microsclere:
Shape: Palmate Isochelae]Length
Microsclere:
Shape: Toxa
Length: 15 -- 100 µ