ZooKeys
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Yucatania sphaeroidocladus is an encrusted to massive sponge (up to 9 cm thick). In the living state it is ochre-brown on the outside.
The surface is microhispid, rough to the touch, the oscula are numerous and scattered, roundish to oval up to 4.5 mm wide.
Similar species
All massive-amorphous to subglobal species that accumulate debris can be confused with this species. The nature of the spicules is decisive for identification.
Mesophotic depths of eastern Brazil, Guyana, Trinidad and the continental platform of the Yucatan Peninsula.
Widespread in the mesophotic depths in FGBNMS (12 sites), with rare or intermediate abundance (1-100).
Ecology: Occurs in coralline algal reefs, algal nodules, lower mesophotic reefs.
Literature reference:
Díaz MC, Nuttall M, Pomponi SA, Rützler K, Klontz S, Adams C, Hickerson EL, Schmahl GP (2023)
An annotated and illustrated identification guide to common mesophotic reef sponges (Porifera, Demospongiae, Hexactinellida, and Homoscleromorpha) inhabiting Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and vicinities.
ZooKeys 1161: 1-68. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1161.93754
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
The surface is microhispid, rough to the touch, the oscula are numerous and scattered, roundish to oval up to 4.5 mm wide.
Similar species
All massive-amorphous to subglobal species that accumulate debris can be confused with this species. The nature of the spicules is decisive for identification.
Mesophotic depths of eastern Brazil, Guyana, Trinidad and the continental platform of the Yucatan Peninsula.
Widespread in the mesophotic depths in FGBNMS (12 sites), with rare or intermediate abundance (1-100).
Ecology: Occurs in coralline algal reefs, algal nodules, lower mesophotic reefs.
Literature reference:
Díaz MC, Nuttall M, Pomponi SA, Rützler K, Klontz S, Adams C, Hickerson EL, Schmahl GP (2023)
An annotated and illustrated identification guide to common mesophotic reef sponges (Porifera, Demospongiae, Hexactinellida, and Homoscleromorpha) inhabiting Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and vicinities.
ZooKeys 1161: 1-68. https://doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1161.93754
This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.
