The flat leaf sponge (''Isodictya grandis'') 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 marine

demosponge Demosponges or common sponges are sponges of the class Demospongiae (from + ), the most diverse group in the phylum Porifera which include greater than 90% of all extant sponges with nearly 8,800 species A species () is often de ...

in the

family Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...

Isodictyidae Isodictyidae is a family of marine demosponges. Genera Genera Genus (; : genera ) is a taxonomic rank above species and below family as used in the biological classification of living and fossil organisms as well as viruses. In binomial n ...

. This sponge is known from the west coast of South Africa to False Bay. It is

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found only in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also foun ...

to this region.Samaai, T. and Gibbons, M.J. 2005. Demospongiae taxonomy and biodiversity of the Benguela region on the west coast of South Africa. ''Afr. Nat. Hist''. 1(1):1-96

Description

The flat leaf sponge may grow to 1 cm thick and 20 cm high. It is an erect, thin-bladed sponge, with the blades narrowing to points at the tips. Its texture is smooth but slightly hairy with small oscula on the blade edges. It is orange-red in colour.Jones, Georgina. ''A field guide to the marine animals of the Cape Peninsula.'' SURG, Cape Town, 2008.

Habitat

This sponge lives on rocky reefs from 15-37m.

References

Poecilosclerida Sponges described in 1886 {{demosponge-stub