Demospongiae |
Poecilosclerida |
Desmacellidae
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Sessile; depth range 2 - 70 m (Ref. 108813). Tropical
Western Central Atlantic.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm Max length : 80.0 cm WD male/unsexed; (Ref. 415)
Thick encrusting: 0.4 - 3 cm, or massive to large vases: up to 80 cm wide and high. Brown-red in color externally, tan internally. Surface varies from smooth and porous, to corrugated and micro hispid, somewhat velvety. Oscules dispersed: 0.3 - 0.6 cm wide. Firm but fragile (Ref. 415).
Maximum depth reported taken from Ref. 128739. On reef environments, usually under 5 m deep (Ref. 415). Also found in mangroves (Ref. 86836). Dwells in coral reefs or rock pavements in shallow depths. Possibly associated with polychaete worms (Ref. 128739).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Members of the class Demospongiae are hermaphroditic. Life cycle: The zygote develops into parenchymella larva (free-swimming) before settling down on a substrate where it grows into a young sponge.
Collin, R., M.C. Díaz, J. Norenburg, R.M. Rocha, J.A. Sánchez, M. Schulze, A. Schwartz and A. Valdés. 2005. (Ref. 415)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
CITES status (Ref. 108899)
Not Evaluated
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Human uses
| FishSource |
Tools
More information
Age/SizeGrowthLength-weightLength-lengthMorphologyLarvaeAbundance
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature
(Ref.
115969): 23.6 - 28, mean 27 (based on 210 cells).
Vulnerability
Moderate to high vulnerability (52 of 100).
Price category
Unknown.