Ectyoplasia ferox (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)

Fig. 8

Diagnostic features.

Thickly encrusting to palmate. Brown to reddish externally, orange internally. Rugose to smooth surface. Oscula on tips of chimneys. Pale colored oscular membranes. Compressible, easy to break.

Similar species.

This species is quite variable in color and level of rugosity. Massive and smooth forms of Cliona varians can be confused with it. Spicule composition allows a definitive diagnosis.

Distribution and abundance.

Throughout the Caribbean, Gulf of Mexico, and SE Brazil, very common in shallow coral reefs. Mesophotic reefs in Cuba. At FGBNMS the species is rare to low in abundance (1-10) at five sites.

Ecology.

Coralline algae reefs, coral communities, algal nodules, lower mesophotic reefs.

Identification.

KR, SK, CA, MCD.

References.

Wiedenmayer 1977; Ugalde et al. 2021