Color:

gray
green
black
brown
cream

Morphology:

encrusting
papillated

Consistency:

hard
tough

Sample Locations:

Bahamas

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Cliona caribbaea

Notes: Encrusting and excavating sponge. Also known as Cliona langae Pang, 1973. Dark green to brown incrustations, spread over the excavated substratum, reaching sizes up to about 1-2 m; young specimens are made of partly fused papillae. Oscules conspicuous, usually of lighter color. Can be confused with Cliona tenuis Zea & Weil, 2003 (not yet found in the Bahamas), which is thinner (the substratum is visible through the tissue) and has tiny oscules; the also can be distinguished from spiculation (see Zea and Weil, 2003). This sponge excavates the upper 1-2 cm of the substratum, filling cavities with a greenish yellow tissue.

Author Reference: Carter, 1882

 

Link: World Porifera Database