Description

Recorded distribution in Britain and Ireland

Recorded from the Shetland Isles, Orkney, Fraserburgh, the Firth of Forth, Northumberland and east Yorkshire, the southeast, south and southwest coasts of England, the west coasts of England and Scotland, and all coasts of Ireland.

Global distribution

Recorded on the Atlantic coasts of Europe from Norway and the Faeroe Islands to the Mediterranean.

Habitat

It occurs in the shallow sublittoral zone, often overgrowing the holdfasts of Laminaria sp. or sessile invertebrates. It can tolerate a wide range of exposures and can also be found in areas experiencing strong tidal currents. Occasionally found in cryptic low-littoral habitats.

Depth range

Identifying features

• Encrusting or creeping branching soft sponge.
• Soft, delicate and very flexible consistency, with slight contraction.
• Massive-lobose (vertical growth results in lobed forms, lateral growth results in ridged forms), thin sheets, cushions or branched forms.
• Size variation from 2 cm to 15 cm high.
• Non-contracting oscules only slightly raised from the surface, or at the top of volcano-like growths.
• May have tassel growths originating from the oscule margins.
• Branching form individuals are often arranged in linear series.
• Sponge surface is even, with moderate friction and fairly open in appearance.
• Subectosomal tissue is peppered with pore channels which are covered with a thin transparent layer.
• Has a characteristic and strong odour.
• Megasclere spicules are smooth and usually curved.
• Microsclere spicules are small and have ends which bear shovel-shaped structures (isochela).

Additional information

The pigment can be squeezed out between the fingers. The sponge is thought to go colourless in deeper water. It has also been found growing up hydroid stems.

Listed by

- none -