Cribrochalina vasculum ( Lamarck, 1814 )

Rützler, Klaus, Piantoni, Carla, Van, Rob W. M. & Díaz, Cristina, 2014, Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay, Zootaxa 3805 (1), pp. 1-129 : 83-84

Cribrochalina vasculum ( Lamarck, 1814)

Synonymy and references. Cribrochalina vasculum ( Lamarck, 1814) : Wiedenmayer (1977): 119, fig. 131, pl. 16: 2–4.

Material. USNM 1229113, Curlew Bank, forereef cave, 20 m; C. Piantoni col. 28 Jun 2007.

External morphology. An erect plate, cut during collecting but estimated to have been about 3 x 7 cm (height x width), 5–8 mm thick. Consistency firm but elastic. Surface velvet-like, densely covered by the symbiotic zoanthid Parazoanthus parasiticus . Color in the ectosomal region (outer 3 mm) chestnut brown, the interior is cream.

Skeleton structure. The choanosomal skeleton is a multispicular mesh, alternating with ascending spicule tracts which contain the larger oxeas and are more or less interconnected by secondary spicule fibers. In the ectosome, the ascending spicule fibers end or protrude; there they are echinated by smaller oxeas, like minute bottle brushes.

Spicules. Slightly curved oxeas of great size range but without separation into size classes; with blunt or hastate points, some approaching strongyloxeas: 70–350 x 4–14 (208 x 8) Μm;

Ecology. Found once inside a framework cave in 20 m.

Distribution. Bermuda, Florida, Bahamas, Caribbean Sea.

Comments. Wiedenmayer (1977) found the sponge on open reef platforms, in less than 10 m. The brown color (and microscope examination) indicates that this species is associated with unicellular cyanobacteria and is thus partly supported by photosynthesis.