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

47. Clathria (Axosuberites) lambei (Koltun, 1955)
Description. This sponge grows from an encrusting
base to a mass of branches or lobes with an uneven
surface. Consistency is soft and elastic. Diameter is to
30 cm. Color in life is golden brown.
Skeletal structure. Ectosome consists of brushes of
smaller subtylostyles and tylostyles with large protruding
choanosomal styles. Choanosomal smooth styles, often
with acanthaceous heads, are arranged in plumose
tracts and echinated by small acanthostyles. There are
eectosomal tylostyles and subtylostyles (520–1370 × 8–18
µm); choanosomal large styles (540–1960 × 28–40 µm)
with acanthose heads, acanthostyles (120–430 × 10–20
µm), and palmate isochelae (18–25 µm).
Zoogeographic distribution. Uncommon. In Alaska
– central Aleutian Islands. Elsewhere – southern Sea
of Okhotsk and Sea of Japan (southern Kuril Islands).
Habitat. In Alaska – attached to small cobbles and
pebbles in generally low-relief (i.e., flat-bottomed)
habitat at depths between 150 and 160 m. Elsewhere –
reported at depths between 91 and 550 m on oozy sand
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and pebbles and at temperatures between 1 and 1.3°C
and a salinity of 34.18 psu.
Photo. 1) Specimen collected at a depth of 155 m in
the central Aleutian Islands. Grid marks are 1 cm 2 .