Polymastia aurantium

Polymastia aurantium
Scientific classification
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Porifera
Class: Demospongiae
Order: Hadromerida
Family: Polymastiidae
Genus: Polymastia
Species: P. aurantium
Binomial name
Polymastia aurantium
Kelly-Borges & Bergquist, 1997

Polymastia aurantium is a species of demosponge belonging to the family Polymastiidae. It is found in intertidal habitats including tide pools in the vicinity of Auckland, New Zealand.

This is a thickly encrusting sponge with a soft, fleshy texture, growing in patches up to 18 cm across. The outer layer is bright orange with a yellowish-brown interior. The surface is marked with widely spaced papillae: When the sponge is in a location affected by wave action, the papillae are located on distinct lamellae running in a single direction over the whole surface of the sponge.

References

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