Grey wall sponge
The grey wall sponge (Stelletta agulhana) is a species of sea sponge belonging to the family Ancorinidae.[1] It is found around the coast of Southern Africa from the Northern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal. It is an endemic species.
| Grey wall sponge | |
|---|---|
Scientific classification  | |
| Domain: | Eukaryota |
| Kingdom: | Animalia |
| Phylum: | Porifera |
| Class: | Demospongiae |
| Order: | Tetractinellida |
| Family: | Ancorinidae |
| Genus: | Stelletta |
| Species: | S. agulhana |
| Binomial name | |
| Stelletta agulhana Lendenfeld, 1907 | |
grey wall sponge (Stelletta agulhana); City of Cape Town, Western Cape, South Africa
Description
The grey wall sponge may grow to 10 cm thick and 40–50 cm in length. It is a massive grey sponge with fine spicules protruding from its surface. It has a stony texture, with small oscula visible on the upper surface.[1]
Habitat
This sponge lives on rocky reefs in 2-90m of water.[2]
References
- Samaai, T. and Gibbons, M.J. 2005. Demospongiae taxonomy and biodiversity of the Benguela region on the west coast of South Africa. Afr. Nat. Hist. 1(1):1-96
- Jones, Georgina. A field guide to the marine animals of the Cape Peninsula. SURG, Cape Town, 2008. ISBN 978-0-620-41639-9
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