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

82 Professional Paper NMFS 12
66. Phorbas paucistylifer Koltun, 1958
Description. This sponge is globular with two distinct
surface morphologies; some specimens are covered with
round, crater-like depressions and round oscula that are
flush with the surface, others have a surface covered
with short papillae. Dermal membrane is thick. Consistency
is soft and elastic. Diameter is to 20 cm. Color in
life is bright orange (dominant phase) or yellow.
Skeletal structure. Anisotornotes (420–490 × 8–12
µm) with long thin points form a dense ectosomal
crust together with numerous isochelae. Choanosomal
ascending plumose spicule tracts are of the same tornotes,
cored and echinated by acanthostyles (280–540
× 10–30 µm). Anchorate isochelae are strongly bent,
the outline of a half circle and tridentate (32–40 µm).
Koltun (1959) described somewhat smaller tornotes and
acanthostyles.
Zoogeographic distribution. North Pacific Ocean.
Locally common. In Alaska – central Aleutian Islands.
Elsewhere – Sea of Okhotsk and Sea of Japan.
Habitat. In Alaska – patchily distributed on bedrock
and cobbles at depths between 56 and 120 m. Elsewhere
– reported on rocks and ooze at depths between 3 and
414 m and a temperature of 2.3°C.
Remarks. Gross morphology and spicule complement
are similar to Lissodendoryx behringi, but the spicule architecture
is quite different.
Photos. 1) Specimen collected at a depth of 124 m
in the central Aleutian Islands. Grid marks are 1 cm 2 .
2) Same specimen as in photo 1 in situ with the gorgonian
Fanellia compressa. 3) Specimen collected at a depth
of 110 m in the central Aleutian Islands. Grid marks are
1 cm 2 . 4) Same specimen as in photo 3 in situ.