| Demospongiae |
Halichondrida |
Halichondriidae |
Topsentia ophiraphidites |
11 |
Stiff to hard, globular to massive-amorphous with velvety-hispid surface, often partly buried in sediments or filling crevices in hard substrata, and with projecting elevations, pointed or lobed, sometimes with branchelets. Color from light brown-cinnanon to yellowish. Deep or cave specimens whitish. Reglardless of shape and color, we have placed under this species all stiff specimens with several categories of stout oxea, some of them bent twice, often erect as a palisade in the surface. Perhaps there is more than one species involved, but this needs further studies. For synonymies and related species see Álvarez et al. (1993). |
(de Laubenfels, 1934) |
yellow,white,brown,pink-lilac,cinnamon-tan,cream,purple-violet,branching,fan,massive,encrusting,spherical,papillated,lobate,tube,crumbly,hard,tough |
| Demospongiae |
Halichondrida |
Halichondriidae |
Topsentia pseudoporrecta |
3 |
Also known in the Caribbean as Topsentia porrecta, which is a name from the Azores (E. Atlantic). Encrusting to massive, creamy white, with fistules arising from the main body. Consistency stiff, crumbly. It is similar in consistency and skeleton (oxeas of various sizes, confused in arrangement, with a crust of spicules paratangentially arranged) to Topsentia ophiraphidites, also pictured in this catalogue, but the latter usually has tan to brownish tinges and when it has projections these are irregular and seldom papillae-like. The two specimens examined had abundant sand grains throughout the skeleton and on the surface, often forming a distinguishable cortex. Pending confirmation of spicule sizes. |
Diaz, Pomponi & van Soest, 1993 |
white,cream,encrusting,massive,papillated,tough,crumbly |
