Demospongiae |
Dictyoceratida |
Spongiidae
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Sessile, usually 5 - 60 m (Ref. 363). Subtropical
Mediterranean.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm Max length : 20.0 cm WD male/unsexed; (Ref. 363)
Maximum size: seldom exceed 15 to 20 cm in diameter. Massive sponge; generally with lobes short and round-offs; finished by a osculus a few mm in diameter and laterally traversed by radiant; visible surface channels under ectosome. Surface small and regular glazes of conules. Primary: 0.004 to 0.006 cm diameter; well individualized fibers; equipped with a sinuous marrow occupying approximately one the third of fiber; generally deprived of foreign bodies (sometimes with some rare spicules foreign). Secondary fibers: 0.0022 to 0.0035 cm diameter; in dense network, with often a surface finer fiber network (0.0004 to 0.001 cm). Color: yellowish white, often rust inside.
Species to very flexible skeleton, probably more "fine" of all commercial sponge; it is not exploited on a commercial basis, undoubtedly because of its small size, its relatively low abundance and its brittleness (Ref. 363).
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.
Vacelet, J. 1987 Éponges. p. 137-148. In Fischer, W., M. L. Bauchot and M. Schneider. 1987. Fiches FAO d' identification des espèces pour les besoins de la pêche. (Revision 1). Méditerranée et mer Noire. Zone de pêche 37. Volume I. Végëtaux et Invertébrés. Publication préparée par la FAO, résultant d'un accord entre la FAO et la Commission des Communautés européennes (Project GCP/INT/422/EEC) financëe conjointement par ces deux organisations. Rome, FAO, Vol.1. (Ref. 363)
IUCN Red List Status
(Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
CITES status (Ref. 108899)
Not Evaluated
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
Fisheries: of no interest
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More information
Trophic EcologyFood items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Predators
Population dynamicsGrowthMax. ages / sizesLength-weight rel.Length-length rel.Length-frequenciesMass conversionAbundance Life cycleReproductionMaturityFecunditySpawningEggsEgg developmentLarvae PhysiologyOxygen consumption
Human RelatedStamps, coins, misc.
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Fishing Vulnerability
Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
Price category
Unknown.