Branching vase sponge
Callyspongia vaginalis
(Lamarck, 1814)

Description:
The basic shape of this species is a cluster of long erect tubes, tapering only slightly. The tubes have a wide, thin-walled vent, and its outer walls are strongly conulose. The tubes show a considerable tendency to anastomose and this may lead eventually to hollow, fan shaped specimens. Tubes up to 25 cm high and 5 cm in diameter. Fan shaped forms up to 18 cm high, 21 cm in the widest expansion and up to 3 cm in thickness. Vents up to 2.5 cm in diameter. Conules about 3 mm high and 5 mm apart. Surface of outer walls smooth between the conules. The consistency is very spongy.

Color:
Very variable: from lavender to brownish-gray to greenish-gray and occasionally light tan.

Habitat:
Inhabit shallow and mid-range reefs, walls and rocky areas. The species is frequently infested with Sponge zoanthids (Parazoanthus parasiticus ) and Sponge brittle stars (Ophiothrix suensonii ) C. vaginalis-close-up.

Distribution:
Common from South Florida, the Bahamas to the Caribbean.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Porifera
Genus Callyspongia
Species Callyspongia vaginalis

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Synonym of Callyspongia (Cladochalina) vaginalis (Lamarck, 1814)

Scientific synonyms and common names

Branching vase sponge [English]
Grijze vertakte buisspons [Dutch]
Éponge-tube ramifiée grise [French]
Grauer Verzweigter Röhrenschwamm [German]

Humann, P., 1992. Reef Creature Identification - Florida Caribbean Bahamas, (ed. N. Deloach). New World Publications, Inc., Paramount Miller Graphics, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida.

Soest, R.W.M. van, 1980. Marine sponges from Curaçao and other Caribbean islands. Part II. Haplosclerida. Studies on the fauna of Curaçao and other Caribbean islands, 191.

Voss, G.L., 1976. Seashore life of Florida and the Carribbean. Banyan Books, Inc. Miami, Florida.

You can continue searching for Callyspongia vaginalis on one of these Web sites:

Fauna Europaea (animals) | IOPI (plants) | NCBI (genetic)

Google | Yahoo | MSN | Wikipedia