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

56 Professional Paper NMFS 12
40. Cornulum clathriata (Koltun, 1955)
Description. This stalked fan-shaped sponge consists
of a meshwork or net; not flat but slightly concave.
Consistency is wiry due to the mesh of spicule tracts. It
is relatively small; height to 11 cm. Color in life is light
yellow.
Skeletal structure. Structure includes ectosomal
tylotes with acanthaceous ends (280–420 × 6–8 µm);
choanosomal styles with slightly acanthaceous blunt
ends in a wide size range (215–2000 × 18–33 µm); and
spherical isochelae (17–25 µm) and toxa in two size
categories – large (55–220 µm) and small (10–18 µm).
Zoogeographic distribution. Uncommon. In Alaska –
central Aleutian Islands. Elsewhere – previously known
from only two records near the Commander Islands
(Russia) in the western Bering Sea.
Habitat. In Alaska – attached to bedrock or mudstone
at depths between 843 and 1720 m. Elsewhere – reported
at a depth of 2440 m.
Remarks. Previously known as Melonchela clathriata
Koltun, 1955.
Photos. 1) Specimen collected at a depth of 1720 m
in the central Aleutian Islands. Grid marks are 1 cm 2 .
2) Same specimen as in photo 1 in situ.