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

70 Professional Paper NMFS 12
54. Inflatella globosa Koltun, 1955
Description. This sponge is subglobular with a conulose
surface. Tiny conules are distributed uniformly
over the surface of the sponge, but oscula are atop small
papillae that are restricted to the dorsal surface. The
oscula contract upon fixation. Consistency is rather firm
but elastic. Diameter is to approximately 50 cm. Color
in life is orange, yellow, to creamy white; pale yellow in
ethanol.
Skeletal structure. There is a thick dermal membrane,
densely packed with tylotes (300–400 µm in thickness)
without apparent organization. Tylotes (about 240–350
× 5–10 µm) have distinctive swollen heads that form
polyspicular tracts arranged in an irregular meshwork.
There are no microscleres.
Zoogeographic distribution. Locally common in
the North Pacific Ocean. In Alaska – central Aleutian
Islands. Elsewhere – Bering Sea near Mednyi Island
(Commander Islands), western Sea of Okhotsk, and
Sea of Japan.
Habitat. In Alaska – attached to bedrock and cobbles
at depths between 56 and 138 m. Elsewhere – on rock,
gravel, and sand at depths between 6 and 299 m and a
temperature of 2°C.
Remarks. The genus Inflatella typically has strongyles
but Koltun (1959, fig. 59) described Inflatella
globosa as having tylotes. So this species as described by
Koltun might be transferred to another genus in the
future. I. globosa is similar to Kirkpatrickia borealis but
is more globular with oscules on top of small papillae,
while the latter species is irregularly massive with
relatively inconspicuous oscules. Also, I. globosa has
tylotes only, while K. borealis has tylotes, styles, and a few
strongyles.
Photos. 1) Specimen collected at a depth of 138 m in
the central Aleutian Islands. Grid marks are 1 cm 2 . 2)
Same specimen as in photo 1 in situ.