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

76 Professional Paper NMFS 12
60. Monanchora laminachela Lehnert, Stone and Heimler, 2006
Description. This sponge is stalked with a subglobular
body and a corrugated surface in life which becomes
conulose after freezing. Small circular oscula in depressions
on the surface are only visible in live specimens.
Consistency is elastic but firm. Total height is to 10
cm; smooth stalk with a height of 4 cm. Color in life is
golden yellow.
Skeletal structure. SEM images of spicules are shown
in Appendix IV. Ectosomal skeleton consists of a thick
membrane of tangential brushes of smaller styles,
fairly dense, and isochelae in between. Choanosome
consists of thick, ascending polyspicular tracts of large,
thick styles connected by shorter tracts of large styles.
Ascending tracts (114–387 µm in diameter) support
the surface tubercles and are visible to the unaided eye
when dissecting the sponge. Spicules consist of megascleres
– thin, small, ectosomal (sub)tylostyles (350–395
× 9–11 µm), and choanosomal thick styles (840–1170 ×
34–42 µm). Two categories of microscleres are present –
anchorate isochelae with a peculiar plate in the middle
(22–25 µm) and thin sigmas (19–23 µm).
Zoogeographic distribution. Locally common. In
Alaska – central Aleutian Islands. Elsewhere – not
reported.
Habitat. Attached to boulders and cobbles at depths
between 203 and 485 m.
Photos. 1) Preserved specimens (frozen) collected at
a depth of 485 m in the central Aleutian Islands. Grid
marks are 1 cm 2 . 2) Same specimens as in photo 1 with
other biota. 3) Same specimens as in photos 1 and 2
(indicated by the white arrows) in situ.