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

59. Monanchora alaskensis (Lambe, 1895)
Description. This stalked sponge widens from a
relatively narrow peduncle to the appearance of many
agglutinated tubes (up to eight tubes). Growth form
may also be flabellate, dactylate, or irregularly lobate
(Koltun, 1959). Surface is smooth; large oscula are arranged
in rows on the apical surface. The consistency
is elastic and compressible but difficult to tear due to
the polyspicular tracts of the choanosome. Height is to
at least 17 cm. Color in life is golden brown to brown.
Skeletal structure. There are ectosomal thin styles
(120–200 × 7–9 µm), choanosomal styles (180–360 ×
13–20 µm) that form an irregular meshwork of polyspicular
tracts, anchorate isochelae (70–90 µm), and
small isochelae (30–40 µm).
Zoogeographic distribution. Widespread but uncommon
in the North Pacific Ocean. In Alaska – central
Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea. Elsewhere – Bering Sea
(Russia) and Sea of Okhotsk.
Habitat. In Alaska – attached to bedrock and cobbles
at depths between 146 and 364 m. Elsewhere – on peb-
bles, rocks, and sand at depths between 32 and 148 m
and temperatures of 1.4 to 6.5°C.
Photo. 1) Specimen collected at a depth of 146 m in
the central Aleutian Islands. Grid marks are 1 cm 2 .
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