Geodia gibberosa
Scientific classification Edit this classification
Domain: Eukaryota
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Porifera
Class: Demospongiae
Order: Tetractinellida
Family: Geodiidae
Genus: Geodia
Species:
G. gibberosa
Binomial name
Geodia gibberosa
Lamarck, 1815
Synonyms

Geodia gibberosa, commonly known as the white encrusting sponge,[1] is a species of sea sponge found in the Caribbean. It is eaten by hawksbill turtles.[2] It was first described by Lamarck in 1815.[3]

Description

Geodia gibberosa is a large, dense sponge. It can be white or pale tan when exposed to very little light, or dark brown in areas with a lot of it.[4] It is usually in the form of a knobby, fist-like mass, often up to 50 cm in diameter. It may also occur as a spherical mass without projections and is also known to form large colonies that resemble rounded calcareous rocks.[5] Its skeleton is a bunch of needle-like spicules radiating outward from the center near the surface, much more randomly dispersed on the inside.[4]

Distribution and habitat

Geodia gibberosa is found in the Bahamas, Florida, Brazil, and West Africa.[6][4] It is commonly found in shallow waters with hard bottoms, generally in the same area as seagrasses.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Guide to benthic fauna of Gray's Reef National Marine Sanctuary". Archived from the original on 2009-10-21. Retrieved 2009-10-07.
  2. ↑ "Species Booklet: Hawksbill sea turtle". Virginia Fish and Wildlife Information Service. Virginia Department of Game & Inland Fisheries. Archived from the original on 2006-09-24. Retrieved 2007-02-06.
  3. ↑ WorMS
  4. 1 2 3 4 "Geodia gibberosa Lamarck, 1815 Astrophorida, Geodiidae". Retrieved February 15, 2014.
  5. ↑ "Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission (GSMFC)" (PDF).
  6. ↑ "TSG: Geodia gibberosa".
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