Black-ball sponge
Ircinia strobilina
(Lamarck, 1816)

Description:
Ball- or cake-shaped, up to 20 cm high and 23 cm in diameter. Large specimens may show a shallow depression at their upper side, but many specimens are rounded or laterally expanded masses. Coarsely conulose; conules 2-15 mm high and 5-15 mm apart. One or more slight depressions with clusters of oscules; oscules 4-10 mm in diameter (I. strobulia-close up). Consistency tough.

Color:
Blackish gray on the upper surface, yellow gray near the base.

Habitat:
Common on reefs, but also on muddy sands and at bottoms at greater depths. Prefer brightly lit areas.

Distribution:
From Florida to the Guyana shelf.

Kingdom Animalia
Phylum Porifera
Genus Ircinia
Species Ircinia strobilina

Status in World Register of Marine Species

Accepted name: Ircinia strobilina (Lamarck, 1816)

Scientific synonyms and common names

Black-ball sponge [English]
Grijze balspons [Dutch]
Éponge-balle noire [French]
Grauer Kugelschwamm [German]

Humann, P., 1992. Reef Creature Identification - Florida Caribbean Bahamas, (ed. N. Deloach). New World Publications, Inc., Paramount Miller Graphics, Inc., Jacksonville, Florida.

Soest, R.W.M. van, 1978. Marine sponges from Curaçao and other Caribbean islands. Part I. Keratosa. Studies on the fauna of Curaçao and other Caribbean islands, 179.

Voss, G.L., 1976. Seashore life of Florida and the Carribbean. Banyan Books, Inc. Miami, Florida.

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You can continue searching for Ircinia strobilina on one of these Web sites:

Fauna Europaea (animals) | IOPI (plants) | NCBI (genetic)

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