Ptilocaulis walpersii ( Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 )

Rützler, Klaus, Piantoni, Carla, Van, Rob W. M. & Díaz, Cristina, 2014, Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay, Zootaxa 3805 (1), pp. 1-129 : 71

Ptilocaulis walpersii ( Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)

Synonymy and references. Pandaros walpersii Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 ; Ptilocaulis walpersi ( Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) : Alvarez et al. (1998): 22 (with synonyms).

Material. USNM 1191335, Off Curlew Bank, forereef cave, 20 m; C. Piantoni col. 2 July 2007.

External morphology. A small erect fan with ridged and stubby surface, 2 cm tall (size of retained fragment). Tough, elastic, bright orange red in life.

Skeleton structure. Bundles of styles bound by spongin, extending from the base into the surface processes. They are interconnected by fibers and spicule tracts.

Spicules. Styles in two size classes. Shorter styles are more common, most of them with a sharp bend in the upper third of their length. Longer ones are bent (upper third) or straight, a few have subtylote heads. Styles I: 340–450 x 10–18 (396 x 16) Μm; Styles II: 420–690 x 12–14 (557 x 13) Μm.

Ecology. On reefs and in cave habitats, 1– 35 m.

Distribution. Bermuda, Florida, and the entire Caribbean; not reported from the Gulf of Mexico.