Dennis Rabeling, Lanzarote, Kanarischen Inseln
Info
(Poiret, 1798)
The fig sponge is usually found on the undersides of rocks, on overhangs and in caves in a depth range of 5 to approx. 70 meters.
The sponge lives in symbiosis with photosynthetically active cyanobacteria, which is the reason for its purple-brown coloration.
In caves without sunlight, however, the sponge is white.Petrosia (Petrosia) ficiformis has a compact and hard structure and reaches a size of approx. 15 cm.
Predator: The sponge is on the menu of the nudibranch Peltodoris atromaculata.
Synonyms:
Alcyonium distortum Lamarck, 1815 · unaccepted (genus transfer & junior synonym)
Petrosia dura (Schmidt, 1862) · unaccepted (junior synonym)
Petrosia ficiformis (Poiret, 1789) · alternative representation (subgenus assignment)
Rayneria dura Nardo, 1834 · unaccepted (genus transfer & junior synonym)
Reniera compacta Schmidt, 1864 · unaccepted (genus transfer and junior synonym)
Reniera dura Schmidt, 1862 · unaccepted (genus transfer & junior synonym)
Schmidtia dura (Schmidt, 1862) · unaccepted (genus transfer & junior synonym)
Schmidtia ficiformis (Poiret, 1789) · unaccepted (genus transfer)
Schmidtia fungiformis Balsamo Crivelli, 1863 · unaccepted (genus transfer and junior synonym)
Spongia ficiformis Poiret, 1789 · unaccepted (genus transfer)
The fig sponge is usually found on the undersides of rocks, on overhangs and in caves in a depth range of 5 to approx. 70 meters.
The sponge lives in symbiosis with photosynthetically active cyanobacteria, which is the reason for its purple-brown coloration.
In caves without sunlight, however, the sponge is white.Petrosia (Petrosia) ficiformis has a compact and hard structure and reaches a size of approx. 15 cm.
Predator: The sponge is on the menu of the nudibranch Peltodoris atromaculata.
Synonyms:
Alcyonium distortum Lamarck, 1815 · unaccepted (genus transfer & junior synonym)
Petrosia dura (Schmidt, 1862) · unaccepted (junior synonym)
Petrosia ficiformis (Poiret, 1789) · alternative representation (subgenus assignment)
Rayneria dura Nardo, 1834 · unaccepted (genus transfer & junior synonym)
Reniera compacta Schmidt, 1864 · unaccepted (genus transfer and junior synonym)
Reniera dura Schmidt, 1862 · unaccepted (genus transfer & junior synonym)
Schmidtia dura (Schmidt, 1862) · unaccepted (genus transfer & junior synonym)
Schmidtia ficiformis (Poiret, 1789) · unaccepted (genus transfer)
Schmidtia fungiformis Balsamo Crivelli, 1863 · unaccepted (genus transfer and junior synonym)
Spongia ficiformis Poiret, 1789 · unaccepted (genus transfer)
