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Demospongiae > Haplosclerida > Chalinidae > Chalinula molitba

Observed Characteristics:

Color:

blue
pink-lilac
purple-violet

Morphology:

branching
tube

Consistency:

soft

Sample Locations:

Bahamas
United States

Species Description and Notes

Notes: Light purple to pink to bluish branches or tangled tubes. De Weerdt (2000) included within this species a spongin-dominated morphotype and a spicule-dominating one. Here we include only specimens with spongin-dominated skeletons and use Chalinula pseudomolitba (de Weerdt, Rützler & Smith, 1991) for the spicule-dominated ones. It differs from Ch. pseudomolitba in having a loose network of spongin fibers (ascending and interconnecting) with a few embedded thin spicules.

Author Reference: (de Laubenfels, 1949)

 

Link: World Porifera Database

 

Images

Chalinula molitba


Location: Bahamas, Sweetings Cay
Photographer: Sven Zea

Location: Bahamas, Little San Salvador
Photographer: Joseph Pawlik

Location: Bahamas, Little San Salvador
Photographer: Joseph Pawlik

Location: Bahamas, Little San Salvador
Photographer: Tadeusz Molinski

Location: Bahamas, Little San Salvador
Photographer: Tadeusz Molinski

Location: United States, Florida Keys
Photographer: Joseph Pawlik

Location: Bahamas, Bimini
Photographer: Sven Zea