Species Overview

Iophon chelifer (Ridley & Dendy) var. californiana de Laubenfels, 1932.

SPONGE:

Shape: Amorphous
Color_Preserved: Dark brown
Consistency: fragile

HABITAT:

Benthic Region: Marine: Deep water
Distribution: Southern California to ? Northern California

Surface:

Contour: very lumpy and irregular

Oscula:

Shape: irregular

Ectosome:

Dermal membrane: Fleshy with Tylotes bunched at or near surface

Choanosome:

Architecture: Dense isodictyal reticulation of Acanthostyles

Megasclere:

Shape: Acanthostyles
Length: 230 -320- 382 µ
Width: 12 -- 13 µ

Megasclere:

Shape: Tylotes- Subtylotes with microspined heads
Length: 235 -- 390 µ
Width: 6 -- 8 µ

Megasclere:

Shape: Styles
Length: 235 -- 280 µ
Width: -3- µ
Frequency: may not be present or may be immature

Microsclere:

Shape: Palmate Anisochelae
Length: 15 -- 40 µ

Microsclere:

Shape: Bipocillae
Length: 14 - -18 µ