[A]
Sponge massive, subspherical.
Thickness of primary ascending fibers > 50 μm.
Range of spicule length within a single specimen is narrow (<35 μm). |
| | Niphates lunisimilis
(de Laubenfels, 1930) |
Sponge:
Massive, subspherical, attached to corraline algae or encrusting 5 - 30 mm thick.
Consistency: tough, spongy.
Surface: superficially smooth.
Oscula: crater-like with raised rims or flush. Diameter to 4 mm, distance apart > 1cm.
Color: Alive: Pale buff, lavender pink, pale rose- gray. Preserved: Pale buff.
Spicules: Megascleres:
(1) Oxeas:
70-160 um.
x 3.3 - 10.6 um.
Range: Usually the actual range is narrow but the mean may fall within the range listed
Warning: Undefined array key 5 in /home/thackerdb2/public_html/casponges/programfiles/WCS_Key4.php on line 129
Warning: Undefined array key 1 in /home/thackerdb2/public_html/casponges/programfiles/WCS_Key4.php on line 131
Skeleton:
Anastomosing spongin fibers filled with Oxeas. Ascending fibers 70 - 100 μm cored with many rows of spicules. Transverse fibers 70 - 100 μm, cored with many rows of spicules. Isodictyal secondary reticulation.
.
Distribution: Southern and Central California.
Depth: Intertidal to subtidal.
|
|
[B]
Sponge massive to ramose.
Thickness of primary ascending fibers < 50 μm.
Range of spicule length within a single specimen is moderate (>35 μm).
|
Dickenson, 1945 [of Sim & Bakus, 1986] |
Sponge:
Massive to somewhat ramose..
Color: Preserved: Brown.
Spicules: Megascleres:
Warning: Undefined array key 1 in /home/thackerdb2/public_html/casponges/programfiles/WCS_Key4.php on line 325
(1)Oxeas:
84 -105- 132 um.
x 2.4 -5.3- 7.0 um.
Warning: Undefined array key 4 in /home/thackerdb2/public_html/casponges/programfiles/WCS_Key4.php on line 342
Warning: Undefined array key 1 in /home/thackerdb2/public_html/casponges/programfiles/WCS_Key4.php on line 345
Skeleton:
No information given.
Distribution: Southern California.
Depth: 3.6 to 18 m.
Note: In the Dickenson type, many Oxeas were 150 x 5 μm but the average was 80 x 3 μm. The choanosomal skeleton is a well-developed spongin fiber reticulation, regular, and producing rectangular meshes of about 130 x 220 μm and 100 μm square. Ascending fibers are 25 μm wide and contain fibers with up to 20 rows of spicules. With no description of skeletal structure, the Sim & Bakus identification of this species must remain suspect at this time.
|
|