External characters
bulbous, subspherical, with several large fistules on all sides of the bulb suggesting it is probably erect, partially burrowing
Colour
brown on deck
Skeletal Characters
| Oscules | large, surmounted on top of fistules |
| Texture | firm, compressible |
| Surface_Ornamentation | surface fistulose otherwise smooth, shiny, appears mucusy |
| Ectosomal_Skeleton | ectosome with a light but distinct cortex composed of foreign spicules and sand grains |
| Choanosomal_Skeleton | choanosome with a primary and secondary spongin fibre system, with primary fibres cored by spicules and detritus, and secondary fibres completely clear; fibres do not appear to have any pith or lamellations; mesohyl light and with a light to moderate scattering of isolated spicules of all varieties (sediment trap) |
| Megascleres | Nil |
| Microscleres | Nil |
| Mudmap_Author | JNA Hooper |
| Mudmap_Editor | K Hall |
Distribution
In French Polynesia: Tahiti
Ecology and habitat
In caves.
Possible Confusions
CO1 sequence suggests this is an Ircinia, but there are no collagen filaments in the mesohyl so not an Ircinia sensu stricto. Clearly a Spongiidae and closest to Hyattella based on morphology at least.
Hooper, J.N.A. (2014). QM4865 Hyatella sp. In: Hall, K.A. & Hooper, J.N.A. (2014) SpongeMaps: an online community for taxonomy and identification of sponges. (Available at http://www.spongemaps.org).
