Spheciospongia vesparium
- Spheciospongia vesparium pallida
- Spheciospongia vesparium typica
Spheciospongia vesparium is a cylindrical amorphous as juvenile sponge. It is common in the Caribbean and the western Central Atlantic off the coasts of the United States.
Features
The black, leathery acting by Spongineinlagerungen surface of Spheciospongia vesparium can squeeze just a little. Spheciospongia is one of the horn silica sponges whose skeleton is formed from silicified Spikeln. These give the sponge its strength so that he can rise like a beehive between the corals. Young specimens are found on sand or gravel as a crust-like black coat with several crater- shaped elevations on which the oscula ( flow orifices ) are located. Older sponges of this type form cylindrical to spherical, 30 cm to over one meter high structure with only one or two large, thick-lipped atria, which flows out of the water. Moreover, there is on the entire surface areas with numerous small oscula as inflow. Inside Spheciospongia vesparium is of a dark gray color. The specific epithet vesparium describes the shape of the sponge on the nature of a large wasp nest.
Spheciospongia anchored in the substrate by dissolving the Kalkgrunds. This is done chemically, but mostly by mechanical removal of microscopic lime platelets. This spur can be formed in the lime, the sponge may occupy a large area. Due to the proportions of older plants, he is in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest sponge.
Dissemination
Spheciospongia vesparium is spread throughout the Caribbean and the western Atlantic in the coral reefs at a depth of 2 meters to 18 meters. Often, only its presence in the waters off the West Indies and Florida is mentioned. The discoveries off the coasts of Central and South America, for example, before Panama and Belize, were often regarded as separate species and named with synonyms.
Habitat
With the depth found in the Spheciospongia vesparium, the composition of the fauna living in the sponge may vary. Some species of this fauna, especially small fish, come within the sponge before, others, such as different types of hops Lingen leave him from time to time by the oscula, but remain always near. You can at risk through the openings quickly get back into the sponge. He offers to protect animals and provides them on its ever -lasting stream of water with food.
Hard glass, sharp spicules, the spicules, protect the sponge from predators. While the sponge for fish in the coral reefs that take him accidentally as food is deadly, it can be digested by the Caribbean sea turtle ( Eretmochelys imbricata imbricata ). Spheciospongia vesparium is one of the food sources of these living in the reef sea turtles.