A guide to the deep-water sponges of - NMFS Scientific Publications ...
A guide to the deep-water sponges of - NMFS Scientific Publications ...
A guide to the deep-water sponges of - NMFS Scientific Publications ...
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52 Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Paper <strong>NMFS</strong> 12<br />
36. Suberites excellens (Thiele, 1898)<br />
Description. This massively lobate sponge has irregularly<br />
cylindrical lobes. Surface is smooth <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> unaided<br />
eye but microscopically hispid. Circular oscula are near<br />
tips <strong>of</strong> lobes and slightly elevated above <strong>the</strong> surface.<br />
Consistency is firm but elastic. Height is <strong>to</strong> 14 cm. Color<br />
in life is yellowish brown.<br />
Skeletal structure. Skeletal architecture is more or<br />
less confused in <strong>the</strong> interior but becomes radial <strong>to</strong>wards<br />
<strong>the</strong> surface. The surface consists <strong>of</strong> a palisade <strong>of</strong> smaller<br />
tylostyles. There are thick tylostrongyles with round<br />
tyles at one end and only slightly tapering at <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>r<br />
(640–1890 × 17–46 µm), somewhat thinner and flexuous<br />
tylostrongyles (1140–2100 × 17–26 µm), and small<br />
tylostyles forming <strong>the</strong> palisade at <strong>the</strong> surface (175–520<br />
× 8–12 µm).<br />
Zoogeographic distribution. Rare. In Alaska – Bering<br />
Sea (Zhemchug Canyon) and eastern Gulf <strong>of</strong> Alaska.<br />
Elsewhere – Holotype described from Sagami Bay, Japan;<br />
also recorded along Korean Coast (Sim and Kim,<br />
1988).<br />
Habitat. In Alaska – attached <strong>to</strong> boulders and cobbles<br />
at depths between 390 and 601 m. Elsewhere – no information<br />
available.<br />
Remarks. This was previously known as Rhizaxinella<br />
excellens Thiele, 1898. It typically harbors an abundant<br />
and diverse complement <strong>of</strong> ophiuroid associates.<br />
Pho<strong>to</strong>s. 1) Fragments <strong>of</strong> specimen with ophiuroid<br />
associates collected at a depth <strong>of</strong> 390 m in Zhemchug<br />
Canyon, Bering Sea. 2) Close-up view <strong>of</strong> oscula a<strong>to</strong>p<br />
<strong>the</strong> lobes.