Print species info – Sponge Guide

Demospongiae > Poecilosclerida > Microcionidae > Clathria (Thalysias) sp.3

Observed Characteristics:

Color:

red
white
pink-lilac
cream

Morphology:

encrusting

Consistency:

soft

Locations:

Bahamas

Species Description and Notes

Notes: Initially identified in this guide as Clathria (Thalysias) ?venosa (Alcolado, 1984), but later confirmed to be a different, unidescribed species also present at Santa Marta (Colombia). Encrustations with a transparent whitish/pinkish dermis and a dull red interior. The dermis outlines a wide star pattern of exhalant canals radiating from the oscules. Spicules are styles with slightly mucronated heads, subtylostyles in two categories, chelae and small toxa. For Bahamian waters, Clathria (Thalysias) sp.3 and Clathria (Thalysias) minuta (van Soest, 1984), also pictured here, have similar spiculation, but toxa of Clathria sp. 3 are characteristically smaller. For co-existing specimens, we have assigned to Clathria sp.3 those with a whitish transparent skin over a red tissue, and to C. minuta those with the skin of the same color of the internal tissue (orange in this case).