Aiolochroia crassa (Hyatt, 1875)

Diaz, Maria Cristina, Nuttall, Marissa, Pomponi, Shirley A., Ruetzler, Klaus, Klontz, Sarah, Adams, Christi, Hickerson, Emma L. & Schmahl, G. P., 2023, An annotated and illustrated identification guide to common mesophotic reef sponges (Porifera, Demospongiae, Hexactinellida, and Homoscleromorpha) inhabiting Flower Garden Banks National Marine Sanctuary and vicinities, ZooKeys 1161, pp. 1-68 : 1

publication ID

https://dx.doi.org/10.3897/zookeys.1161.93754

publication LSID

lsid:zoobank.org:pub:4CE0D6C5-C304-4F74-8387-FCC71F8F8AC0

persistent identifier

https://treatment.plazi.org/id/14C7318E-FF2A-5621-81A9-D282AD4DD772

treatment provided by

ZooKeys by Pensoft

scientific name

Aiolochroia crassa (Hyatt, 1875)
status

 

Aiolochroia crassa (Hyatt, 1875) View in CoL View at ENA

Fig. 47 View Figure 47

Diagnostic features.

Massive/lobate to amorphous. Variable color from yellow to pink and purple. The surface has roundish conules. The oscula are on top of lobe(s), have small flat oscular membranes the same color than the sponge. Compressible and dense in consistency.

Similar species.

Some specimens of Verongula rigida , with few ridges at the surface, can be confused with this species.

Distribution and abundance.

This species is very common at shallow coral reefs in Florida, Bermuda, Bahamas, throughout the Caribbean, Brazil, and Gulf of Mexico. At mesophotic depths in FGBNMS it is widely distributed, occurring at ten sites.

Ecology.

Coral communities.

Identification.

KR, CA, SWK, MCD.

Reference.

Wiedenmayer 1977.