Species Overview

Forcepia (Forcepia) macrostylosa Lee, 2001.

SPONGE:

Shape: Thick;massive;somewhat domed -bulbous
Size_thickness: -23- mm
Color_Alive: Unknown
Color_Preserved: Light tan
Consistency: compressible

HABITAT:

Benthic Region: Marine: Deep water
Distribution: Southern California: Catalina Basin.

Surface:

Texture: superficially smooth
Contour: Some areas smooth others layered with overlapping thin

Oscula:

Visible: difficult to discern

Ectosome:

Architecture: Removeable thin layer of packed Subtylotes. Sometimes worn away.

Choanosome:

Architecture: Ladder-like reticulation with tracts of Subtylostyles supporting a loose reticulation. Ladder-like skeleton less obvious near surface where it may bend parallel to surface.

Skeleton:

Composition: Silicate
Architecture: Ladder-like reticulation with tracts of Subtylostyles supporting a loose reticulation. Ladder-like skeleton less obvious near surface where it may bend parallel to surface.

Megasclere:

Shape: Styles-Subtylostyles
Length: 268 -499- 593 µ
Width: 18 -20- 22 µ

Megasclere:

Shape: Subtylotes
Length: 309 - 372- 540 µ
Width: 6 -8- 9 µ

Microsclere:

Shape: Arcuate Isochelae
Length: 19 -23- 29 µ

Microsclere:

Shape: Arcuate Isochelae
Length: 36 -44- 50 µ

Microsclere:

Shape: Sigmas
Length: 45 -60- 66 µ

Microsclere:

Shape: Forceps
Length: 9 -50- 87 µ