Species Overview

Xestospongia diprosopia (de Laubenfels, 1930)

SPONGE:

Shape: Lamellate; subspherical
Size_thickness: 1-4 cm
Color_Dried: Pale drab
Consistency: hard friable

HABITAT:

Benthic Region: Marine: Deep water
Depth: - 500- m
Distribution: Central California

Surface:

Texture: superficially smooth; Strongly hispid
Contour: low rounded protuberances: 5-15 mm high on oscular surface

Oscula:

Distribution: on one side only
Diameter: -3-] mm
Distribution: 15 mm apart over shallow branching

Skeleton:

Composition: Silicate
Architecture: highly dense reticulate network of short multispicular tracts interconnected by only a few oxeas or bundles of 4-6 oxeas. Meshes tend to be polygonal. Reticulation finer near surface.

Ectosome:

Architecture: a tangential disordered network of spicule brushes

Choanosome:

Architecture: highly dense reticulate network of short multispicular tracts interconnected by only a few oxeas or bundles of 4-6 oxeas. Meshes tend to be polygonal. Reticulation finer near surface.

Pores:

Distribution: Non-oscular side with numerous ostia at least 10 µm in diameter

Megasclere:

Shape: Oxeas
Length: 205 -(296|352)- 450 µ
Width: 8 -(10|23)- 30 µ