Species Overview

Myxilla (Myxilla) incrustans (Johnston, 1842) [of Bakus, 1966] .

SPONGE:

Shape: Thin encrusting to massive
Size_Thickness: 2.5 - 8 cm
Color_Alive: Gold to light gold or brown with tinge of rose or yellow

HABITAT:

Benthic Region: Marine: Intertidal; Subtidal; Deep water: On Chlamus spp. or free living
Distribution: California

Surface:

Texture: slightly rough
Contour: warty to rugose amorphous and fistulate

Skeleton:

Composition: Silicate
Architecture: Moderately dense isodictyal reticulation of Acanthostyles with tracts of tightly bound Acanthostyles and Tornotes arisingfrom the choanosome and penetrating the surface

Oscula:

Density: abundant
Diameter: 0.3 -- 4.0 mm

Ectosome:

Dermal membrane: Obvious with numerous irregularly distributed Tornotes parallel to surface

Choanosome:

Architecture: Moderately dense isodictyal reticulation of Acanthostyles with tracts of tightly bound Acanthostyles and Tornotes arisingfrom the choanosome and penetrating the surface

Megasclere:

Shape: Acanthostyles
Length: 104 -(160|221)- 248 µ
Width: 6 -(7|12)- 14 µ

Megasclere:

Shape: Tornotes
Length: 116 -(138|184)- 265 µ
Width: 2-(4|5)- 6 µ

Microsclere:

Shape: Anchorate Isochelae
Length: 11 -(13|21)- 26 µ

Microsclere:

Shape: Anchorate Isochelae
Length: 27 -(37|52)- 59 µ

Microsclere:

Shape: Sigmas
Length: 12 -(15|27)- 34 µ

Microsclere:

Shape: Sigmas
Length: 31 -(37|43)- 54 µ