Demospongiae |
Poecilosclerida |
Mycalidae
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Reef-associated; brackish; depth range 2 - 61 m (Ref. 108813). Tropical
Western Central Atlantic: West and East Africa.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ? range ? - ? cm Max length : 50.0 cm H male/unsexed; (Ref. 415)
Tubular to globular, solitary or in clusters, thin-walled; 1 - 2 cm, up to 50 cm tall. Large pseudoscule with transparent membrane; 3 - 6 cm wide. Dark wine red to black. The surface is spiny. Tough but compressible. Releases sticky mucus released when squeezed (Ref. 415). Massive crusts no more than 5 cm thick. Low, massive lobate; one or few cups or tubes may arise from a common mass. Surface with single or compound large spine-like conules producing creases or irregular lumps; usually covered by an iridescent whitish dermal membrane. Color varies from black to dark blue to purple or reddish purple with blue tinges. May also be orange to scarlet or cream and rose with cinnamon tones or dark purple fibers with iridescent patches (Ref. 85482).
Reefs, mangrove peat banks, occasionally on roots (Ref. 415). Association: with two algae Ostreobiium constrictum Lucas a Chlorophyta, Acrochetum spongicolum Webervan Bosse, Rhodophyta) (Ref. 415), and an amphipod Leucothoe ubouhu living within the sponging fibers of M. laxissima was found among Belizean specimens (Ref. 82302).
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.
Collin, R., M.C. Díaz, J. Norenburg, R.M. Rocha, J.A. Sánchez, M. Schulze, A. Schwartz and A. Valdés 2005 Photographic identification guide to some common marine invertebrates of Bocas Del Toro, Panama. Caribbean Journal of Science. 41(3):638-707. (Ref. 415)
IUCN Red List Status
(Ref. 130435: Version 2025-1)
CITES status (Ref. 108899)
Not Evaluated
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Harmless
Human uses
| FishSource |
Tools
More information
Trophic EcologyFood items (preys)
Diet composition
Food consumption
Predators
Population dynamicsGrowth
Max. ages / sizes
Length-weight rel.
Length-length rel.
Length-frequencies
Mass conversion
Abundance
Life cycleReproductionMaturityFecunditySpawningEggsEgg developmentLarvae PhysiologyOxygen consumption
Human RelatedStamps, coins, misc.
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature
(Ref.
115969): 24.2 - 28, mean 26.8 (based on 202 cells).
Fishing Vulnerability
Moderate vulnerability (40 of 100).
Price category
Unknown.
