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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84 Pr<strong>of</strong>essional Paper <strong>NMFS</strong> 12<br />
68. Myxilla (Myxilla) behringensis Lambe, 1895<br />
Description. This sponge is massive and irregularly<br />
globular. Surface is smooth. Consistency is slightly elastic<br />
and ra<strong>the</strong>r firm due <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> polyspicular tracts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong><br />
choansosome. Diameter is <strong>to</strong> at least 4–5 cm. Color in<br />
life is whitish <strong>to</strong> golden brown.<br />
Skeletal structure. Tylotes (220–270 × 6–10 µm) are<br />
ec<strong>to</strong>somal. Choanosomal acanthostyles (250–380 ×<br />
10–15 µm) occur in a meshwork <strong>of</strong> polyspicular tracts.<br />
There are anchorate large isochelae (70–80 µm), small<br />
isochelae (15–18 µm), large sigmas (65–78 µm), and<br />
small sigmas (27–32 µm).<br />
Zoogeographic distribution. Widespread but rare in<br />
<strong>the</strong> North Pacific Ocean. In Alaska – central Aleutian<br />
Islands and Bering Sea. Elsewhere – Sea <strong>of</strong> Okhotsk,<br />
Sea <strong>of</strong> Japan, and British Columbia (Vancouver Island).<br />
Habitat. In Alaska – encrusts o<strong>the</strong>r demo<strong>sponges</strong> at<br />
depths between 190 and 195 m. Elsewhere – reported at<br />
depths between 32 and 104 m and a salinity <strong>of</strong> 33.95 psu.<br />
Remarks. In Alaska, <strong>the</strong> species is epizoic on <strong>the</strong><br />
demosponge Halichondria oblonga. It was considered by<br />
Koltun (1958) as a subspecies <strong>of</strong> Myxilla incrustans.<br />
Pho<strong>to</strong>. 1) Specimen (center) collected at a depth <strong>of</strong><br />
195 m in <strong>the</strong> central Aleutian Islands. Grid marks are<br />
1 cm 2 . Specimen is encrusting <strong>the</strong> demosponge Halichondria<br />
oblonga.