Description. Large cup-shaped, symmetrical or low, flat and irregular sponge (Fig. 29 A – E). Cup-shape sponge attached to the substratum by a narrow base. Walls of cups of uniform thickness. Surface rugose and undulating with upper side many small randomly scattered ostia visible, ± 0.5 mm in diameter. Texture firm, heavy crust of very fine sand present, non-compressible, difficult to tear. Colour in life dark grey-black; in preservative grey. Skeleton (Fig. 29 F – H). Choanosomal skeleton consists of irregular primary fibres cored with foreign material, 320 (260 – 410) µm in diameter. Secondary fibres are fasciculate, 96 (43 – 135) µm in diameter, cored near the ectosome, and connected by wide areas of spongin. A secondary web of spongin is found in the choanosome with perforations. A dense mass of fine collagenous filaments, each enlarged terminally at both ends, occurs in the mesohyl. Substratum, depth range and ecology. Found growing in coral rubble, in and around areas of sand, depth range 12 – 34 m Geographic Distribution. South and East coasts of South Africa.
Sumber: Shallow-water Demospongiae (Porifera) from Sodwana Bay, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa