Haliclona sp.
Diagnosis
Massive tubiform, cushion shaped or encrusting sponges, with a strong tendency in several species to form fistular our-growths. Oscula usually large, not numerous. Colour orange, pink, purplish or white ; in some species is two colour combination of a whitish transparent ectosome and a darker coloured, purple or orange choanosome. Consistency relatively crisp and brittle, only slightly compressible. Spongin absent or very scarce, at the nodes of the spicules; ectosomal skeleton of the same structure as the choanosome, usually very loosely overlaying the choanosome, from which it may be separeted by extensive subectosomal spaces. Choanosomal skeleton is subisotropic, somewhat confused reticulation, commonly intercepted by many choanosomal spaces. megascleres usually acerate or hastate oxead, reaching substantial sizes in some species. microscleres, of present, microaxeas or sigmas.
Reference(s)
Observation site(s)
SYMBIONTS
Association with... | Region origin | Name of site | In reference... |
---|---|---|---|
Symbiodinium sp. | Heron Island | Coral Gardens |
A sponge/dinoflagellate association in the haplosclerid sponge Haliclona sp.: cellular origin of cytotoxic alkaloids by Percoll density gradient fractionation. Cell and Tissue Research 293:365 - 373. doi: 10.1007/s004410051128 (1998) |