Species Overview

Hymedesmia (?Hymedesmia) sp. E Green & Bakus, 1994.

SPONGE:

Shape: Thin encrusting
Color_Alive: Tan to light orange
Consistency: Fragile

HABITAT:

Benthic Region: Marine: Deep water
Depth: 75--90 m
Distribution: Southern California: Santa Maria Basin.

Surface:

Texture: prickly;hispid.

Ectosome:

Spicules: Tornotes.

Choanosome:

Architecture: Vertically-oriented Acanthostyles; heads buried in spongin. Microscleres abundant.

Skeleton:

Composition: Silicate

Megasclere:

Shape: Acanthostyles
Length: 65 -91- 202 µ
Width: 5.0 -6.0- 8.0 µ

Megasclere:

Shape: Acanthostyles
Length: 230 -423- 500 µ
Width: 10 -12- 13 µ

Megasclere:

Shape: Tornotes
Length: 161 -177- 200 µ
Width: 3.0 -3.0- 4.0 µ

Microsclere:

Shape: Arcuate Isochelae
Length: 10 -17- 21 µ

Microsclere:

Shape: Anchorate Isochelae
Length: 21-23- 26 µ

Microsclere:

Shape: Sigmas
Length: 10 -11- 13 µ

Microsclere:

Shape: Sigmas
Length: 29 -39- 49 µ