Aplysina fulva ( Pallas, 1766 )

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 : 97-98

Aplysina fulva ( Pallas, 1766)

Synonymy and references. Aplysina fistularis ( Pallas, 1766) forma fulva (Pallas) : Wiedenmayer (1977): 66, pl. 6 (including synonymy); van Soest (1978): 57, pl. 11 fig. 2.

Material. USNM 1191350, Carrie Bow forereef cave, off Curlew Bank, 20 m; C. Piantoni col. 29 Jun 2007.

External morphology. A creeping branch, 4 cm long (fragment), 14 mm diameter. Finely conulose surface, with a few skeleton fibers protruding; oscular openings (1 mm) along the sides. Spongy but firm sonsistency. Color yellow-brown, which turned to dark purple in alcohol preservative.

Skeleton. Amber fibers form meshes, 0.5–3 mm in diameter. The fibers are 60–110 (100) Μm in diameter, the pith averaged 41% of the width.

Ecology. Common on the forereef, only a sporadic cave dweller; 4– 25 m.

Distribution. Throughout the tropical and subtropical western Atlantic, from Bermuda to Brazil.

Comments. More specimens need to be studied as it is unusual to find only a creeping branch of this usually erect-growing sponge.