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

40 Professional Paper NMFS 12
24. Craniella arb (de Laubenfels, 1930)
Description. Sponge is globular to subglobular. Oscula
are occasionally present but not obvious. Spicules
radiate from the center to the surface and protrude
above it. Consistency is hard, cartilaginous, and only
slightly elastic due to the high spicule density. With a
diameter of 8 to 10 cm, this is one of the largest species
of Craniella. The cortex is white; the interior of the
sponge is orange-gold.
Skeletal structure. Protriaenes may reach a length of
more than 3 cm. Protriaenes and anatriaenes have relatively
small clads; protriaenes, rhabd greater than 3 cm
× 3–11 µm, clad 20–30 µm; anatriaenes, rhabd up to 10
mm × 3–11 µm, clads, 40–85 µm, oxeas, up to 3 cm ×
10–40 µm, commata, 7–10 µm.
Zoogeographic distribution. Uncommon, but locally
patchy. In Alaska – Aleutian Islands. Elsewhere – central
California to the Gulf of California.
Habitat. In Alaska – found at depths between 88 and
272 m in boulder and cobble habitats. Typically epizoic
on calcareous sponges (e.g., Leucandra poculiformis) and
various demosponges, including Tedania dirhaphis,
Mycale jasoniae, and M. loveni. Elsewhere – reported at
depths between 11 and 214 m.
Remarks. Reproduction in this group of sponges is
oviparous without a larval stage, or viviparous with production
of young adults within the parent (Van Soest
and Rützler, 2002).
Photos. 1) Specimen collected at a depth of 100 m
in the central Aleutian Islands. Specimen is attached
to the demosponge Tedania dirhapsis. Grid marks are
1 cm 2 . 2) Same specimen as in photo 1 showing radial
arrangement of large spicules in the interior and the
presence of orange-colored eggs or young adults.
3) Specimen at a depth of 170 m in the central Aleutian
Islands.