Sponge Guide

UNCW National Science Foundation Valdosta State University Universidad Nacional de Colombia

Observed Characteristics:

Color:

  • blue
  • pink-lilac
  • purple-violet

Morphology:

  • branching
  • tube

Consistency:

  • soft

Sample Locations:

  • Bahamas
  • United States

Chalinula molitba

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