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''Clathrina coriacea'' is a
species A species () is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate sexes or mating types can produce fertile offspring, typically by sexual reproduction. It is the basic unit of Taxonomy (biology), ...
of
calcareous sponge The calcareous sponges or calcereans are sponges that make up the class Calcarea, characterized by spicules made of calcium carbonate in the form of high-magnesium calcite or aragonite. While the spicules in most species are triradiate (with three ...
belonging to the class Calcarea and family Clathrinidae. Species in the genus
Clathrina ''Clathrina'' is a genus of calcareous sponge in the family Clathrinidae. Several species formerly in ''Clathrina'' were transferred to the newly erected genera ''Arturia'', '' Ernstia'', '' Borojevia'', and '' Brattegardia'' in 2013. The name i ...
are composed of
calcium carbonate Calcium carbonate is a chemical compound with the chemical formula . It is a common substance found in Rock (geology), rocks as the minerals calcite and aragonite, most notably in chalk and limestone, eggshells, gastropod shells, shellfish skel ...
tube-like skeletons containing
spicules Spicules are any of various small needle-like anatomical structures occurring in organisms Spicule may also refer to: *Spicule (sponge), small skeletal elements of sea sponges *Spicule (nematode), reproductive structures found in male nematodes ( ...
. The sponge can be located in shallow waters widely distributed along
North Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for ...
coasts, as well as on other coasts.


Anatomy

This three-dimensional
calcareous sponge The calcareous sponges or calcereans are sponges that make up the class Calcarea, characterized by spicules made of calcium carbonate in the form of high-magnesium calcite or aragonite. While the spicules in most species are triradiate (with three ...
species occurs as flat white or yellow encrustations and can also be found with grey, pale rose or orange colors. The sponge ranges from 1 cm to 3 cm in diameter with a central
osculum The osculum (: oscula) is an excretory structure in the living sponge, a large opening to the outside through which the current of water exits after passing through the spongocoel. Wastes diffuse into the water and the water is pumped through ...
and close inspection reveals a tightly-knit latticework of tubes. The calcareous
spicules Spicules are any of various small needle-like anatomical structures occurring in organisms Spicule may also refer to: *Spicule (sponge), small skeletal elements of sea sponges *Spicule (nematode), reproductive structures found in male nematodes ( ...
are all of a similar shape, three-rayed ''triactines.'' The equiangular triradiate spicules have spicule ray junctions that are planar with large dimensions. The tight tubes form a delicate common oscule and the skeleton is made of the calcareous spicules. At younger ages the species are thin and when mature they are soft with tight tubes.


Habitat


Environment

his is largely a shallow-water species though it has been recorded at depths of up to 650 m. The
substrate Substrate may refer to: Physical layers *Substrate (biology), the natural environment in which an organism lives, or the surface or medium on which an organism grows or is attached ** Substrate (aquatic environment), the earthy material that exi ...
is often rock but this sponge is also common on
kelp Kelps are large brown algae or seaweeds that make up the order (biology), order Laminariales. There are about 30 different genus, genera. Despite its appearance and use of photosynthesis in chloroplasts, kelp is technically not a plant but a str ...
holdfasts and on other sponge species. The sponge is normally found with ''
Dendrodoa grossularia ''Dendrodoa grossularia'' is a species of tunicate or sea squirt in the family Styelidae, commonly known as the baked bean ascidian. It is native to the northeastern Atlantic Ocean where it is common in shallow water and on the lower shore in exp ...
'' in caves and canyons, but can also be located on the shore on rocks. Additionally, the sponge can be found in dense amounts with ''Dendrodoa'' in gullies and tunnels encountering wave-surges. This calcareous sponge species can also be found in mud banks.


Distribution

This species is found along east
Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for se ...
coasts from as far North as the
Arctic The Arctic (; . ) is the polar regions of Earth, polar region of Earth that surrounds the North Pole, lying within the Arctic Circle. The Arctic region, from the IERS Reference Meridian travelling east, consists of parts of northern Norway ( ...
and down south near
South Africa South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the Southern Africa, southernmost country in Africa. Its Provinces of South Africa, nine provinces are bounded to the south by of coastline that stretches along the Atlantic O ...
, but is mostly well-defined in the
North Atlantic The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, with an area of about . It covers approximately 17% of Earth's surface and about 24% of its water surface area. During the Age of Discovery, it was known for ...
and on the coasts of the
British Isles The British Isles are an archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean off the north-western coast of continental Europe, consisting of the islands of Great Britain, Ireland, the Isle of Man, the Inner Hebrides, Inner and Outer Hebr ...
. This species has been found in the Lingurian Sea with purple spots around the sponge. It was determined that these purple spots on the sponge was a web of hyphae of a fungus that causes these spots to appear.


Behavior


Reproduction

The reproduction time period of ''Clathrina coriacea'' is from the summer and fall months of July to October. This sponge species can undergo both
asexual Asexual or Asexuals may refer to: *Asexual reproduction **Asexual reproduction in starfish *Asexuality, the lack of sexual attraction to anyone or lack of interest in or desire for sexual activity. **Gray asexuality, the spectrum between asexualit ...
and
sexual reproduction Sexual reproduction is a type of reproduction that involves a complex life cycle in which a gamete ( haploid reproductive cells, such as a sperm or egg cell) with a single set of chromosomes combines with another gamete to produce a zygote tha ...
and is also known to be a
hermaphrodite A hermaphrodite () is a sexually reproducing organism that produces both male and female gametes. Animal species in which individuals are either male or female are gonochoric, which is the opposite of hermaphroditic. The individuals of many ...
. This species of sponge undergoes fragmentation in the summer and reproduction is influenced by environmental factors including temperature.
Oogenesis Oogenesis () or ovogenesis is the differentiation of the ovum (egg cell) into a cell competent to further develop when fertilized. It is developed from the primary oocyte by maturation. Oogenesis is initiated before birth during embryonic devel ...
is common in this sponge species and they have a total cleavage which allows the species to form
blastula Blastulation is the stage in early animal embryonic development that produces the blastula. In mammalian development, the blastula develops into the blastocyst with a differentiated inner cell mass and an outer trophectoderm. The blastula (fr ...
larva that has one posterior
granular cell Juxtaglomerular cells (JG cells), also known as juxtaglomerular granular cells are cells in the kidney that synthesize, store, and secrete the enzyme renin. They are specialized smooth muscle cells mainly in the walls of the afferent arter ...
. Once in the parent, the larva
blastomeres In biology, a blastomere is a type of cell produced by cell division (cleavage) of the zygote after fertilization; blastomeres are an essential part of blastula formation, and blastocyst formation in mammals. Human blastomere characteristics In ...
will migrate into the
blastocoel The blastocoel (), also spelled blastocoele and blastocele, and also called cleavage cavity, or segmentation cavity is a fluid-filled or yolk-filled cavity that forms in the blastula during very early embryonic development. At this stage in mammal ...
. In order for this calcareous sponge species to reproduce, there is a required minimum size for the adult. Buds on the external side of the sponge have been previously identified before.


Feeding

The ''Clathrina coriacea'' are
omnivores An omnivore () is an animal that regularly consumes significant quantities of both plant and animal matter. Obtaining energy and nutrients from plant and animal matter, omnivores digest carbohydrates, protein, fat, and fiber, and metabolize t ...
and feed on several
Chaetoceros ''Chaetoceros'' is a genus of diatoms in the family Chaetocerotaceae, first described by the German naturalist C. G. Ehrenberg in 1844. Species of this genus are mostly found in marine habitats, but a few species exist in freshwater. It is ...
species. Calcareous sponges are
filter feeders Filter feeders are aquatic animals that acquire nutrients by feeding on organic matters, food particles or smaller organisms (bacteria, microalgae and zooplanktons) suspended in water, typically by having the water pass over or through a spec ...
that can filter out heterotrophic bacteria in large amounts of water and feed on
picoplankton Picoplankton is the fraction of plankton composed by cell (biology), cells between 0.2 and 2 μm that can be either prokaryotic and eukaryotic phototrophs and heterotrophs: * photosynthetic * heterotrophic They are prevalent amongst microbial p ...
(< 2μm). These sponges are significant in the process of cycling food particles throughout the
water column The (oceanic) water column is a concept used in oceanography to describe the physical (temperature, salinity, light penetration) and chemical ( pH, dissolved oxygen, nutrient salts) characteristics of seawater at different depths for a defined ...
and rocky habitats. They have numerous predators including the Red Reef Hermit Crab and several shrimp species such as the Sand Snapping Shrimp and Dotted Pistol Shrimp.   


Locomotion

The ''Clathrina coriacea'' has been observed contracting and changing shape to move. In general, locomotion in sponges occurs in outward movements as the sponge moves its spicules. This species of sponge does not have a radial center, so the locomotion and contracting of the sponge is much slower than other species such as '' Leucosolenia botryoides''.


References


''Clathrina coreacea'' at Marine Species Identification Portal
{{Taxonbar, from=Q2676791 coriacea Sponges described in 1814 Sponges of the Atlantic Ocean Invertebrates of Europe Invertebrates of Cape Verde Invertebrates of Namibia Invertebrates of South Africa