Niphates erecta Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864

Rützler, Klaus, Piantoni, Carla, Van, Rob W. M. & Díaz, Cristina, 2014, Diversity of sponges (Porifera) from cryptic habitats on the Belize barrier reef near Carrie Bow Cay, Zootaxa 3805 (1), pp. 1-129 : 86

Niphates erecta Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864

Synonymy and references. Niphates erecta Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 : van Soest (1980): 35, fig. 12, pl. 5: 2–4

Material. USNM 1229121, Curlew Bank forereef cave, 20 m; C. Piantoni col. 29 Jun 2007.

External morphology. An erect branch of 13 mm diameter, 50 mm tall. Oscula 2-4 mm in diameter, irregularly distributed and flush with the rough, bristly surface. The zoanthid Parazoanthus parasiticus is spread over most of the surface. Consistency spongy, elastic. Color, light purplish grey.

Skeleton structure. Spongin fibers (30–200 Μm thick) cored by spicules radiate toward the surface where they partly protrude, causing the bristly surface, partly change to a more or less delicate, tangential network. The primary fibers are interconnected by similar secondary ones. Loose spicules are seen in abundance among the tracts.

Spicules. Slightly bent, hastate oxeas, a few of them in styloid modifications: 220–270 x 8–11 (242 x 9) Μm. A few shorter and thinner ones can be considered developmental.

Ecology. Common on reefs, 1– 40 m.

Distribution. Bermuda, Bahamas, and the entire Caribbean.