A guide to the deep-water sponges of - NMFS Scientific Publications ...

92 Professional Paper NMFS 12
76. Tedania kagalaskai Lehnert, Stone and Heimler, 2006
Description. This large flabellate sponge is attached to
substrate with a firm stalk that widens about 10 cm above
the holdfast. Surface is very smooth; oscula are in several
rows on the flattened apical surface. Body is soft; stalk
is wiry. Maximum dimensions of the roughly triangular
body are approximately 30 × 30 × 5 cm. Color in life is
light brown to orange-brown.
Skeletal structure. SEM images of spicules are shown
in Appendix IV. Ectosomal tylotes (300–330 × 4–6 µm)
have acanthose ends. There are choanosomal smooth
styles (360–390 × 15–20 µm), and onychaetes possibly
in two size categories – large (170–210 µm) and small
(30–40 µm).
Zoogeographic distribution. Locally common. In Alaska
– central Aleutian Islands. Elsewhere – not reported.
Habitat. Attached to bedrock, boulders, and cobbles
at depths between 59 and 170 m. Specimens with a similar
gross morphology have been observed at depths near
478 m, but collection of a specimen within this depth
range and examination of the spicules is necessary to
confirm conspecificity.
Remarks. Species is similar in appearance to Artimisina
stipitata with which it co-occurs. The dorsal surface of
T. kagalaskai is typically flatter and the body form more
distinctly triangular and with a much smoother surface
than A. stipitata. This is the only known species of Tedania
that is stalked.
Photos. 1) Specimen collected at a depth of 146 m in
the central Aleutian Islands. Grid marks are 1 cm 2 . 2)
Same specimen as in photo 1 in situ. 3) Specimen collected
at a depth of 155 m in the central Aleutian Islands.
Grid marks are 1 cm 2 . 4) Specimen in situ collected at a
depth of 105 m in the central Aleutian Islands.