Species Overview

Acanthancora cyanocrypta (de Laubenfels, 1930).

SPONGE:

Shape: Encrusting
Size_Thickness: --4 mm
Color_Alive: Deep cobalt blue; light orange

HABITAT:

Benthic Region: Marine: Intertidal to subtidal
Distribution: Southern California to Northern California

Surface:

Texture: superficially velvety

Oscula:

Visible: not evident

Ectosome:

Dermal membrane: Fleshy
Thickness: - 7.0- µ
Note: Few spicules

Choanosome:

Architecture: Acanthostyles with heads embedded in basal layer of spongin. Above are scattered Acanthostyles. Above this layer is an area with few Acanthostyles and Tornotes in bundles or scattered. Amphiasters throughout sponge.

Skeleton:

Compostion: Silicate
Architecture: Acanthostyles with heads embedded in basal layer of spongin.

Megasclere:

Shape: Acanthostyles
Length: 75 -145- 280 µ
Width: 8.0 -- 8.5 µ

Megasclere:

Shape: Tornotes -very thin
Length: 113 -(125|129)- 170 µ
Width: -3.2- µ

Microsclere:

Shape: Amphiasters
Length: 10 -(13|17)- 17 µ

Biology:

Symbionts: Throughout are abundant blue spiral microbes