Ircinia strobilina (Lamarck, 1816)
Black-ball sponge
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Family:  Irciniidae ()
Max. size:  0.5 cm H (male/unsexed)
Environment:  reef-associated; brackish; marine; depth range 1 - 50 m
Distribution:  Western Atlantic: Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.
Diagnosis:  Massive-globular with large sharp conules: up to 0.5 cm high; regularly spaced up to 1.3 cm apart. Membrane-bearing oscules: 0.2 - 1.5 cm wide; usually grouped onto a depression on top of the sponge. Dark gray to black externally, tan internally. Tough very hard to cut (Ref. 415). Morphology: fan, lobate, massive or spherical (Ref. 81728). Color often paler near the base, rarely almost white with. Black oscules; small specimens have only one oscule (Ref. 85482).
Biology:  Maximum depth reported taken from Ref. 128739. Common on shallow reefs, seagrass beds (Ref. 415) and hard bottoms. Also found in mangroves (Ref. 86836). Occasionally on deeper muddy sand bottoms. Often emits a strong, sulfurous pungent scent when removed from the water (Ref. 85482). In Belize, it was found in a submarine cave near Columbus Cay (Ref. 87209). Inhabits coralline algae reefs, coral communities, and lower mesophotic reefs (Ref. 128739).
IUCN Red List Status: Not Evaluated (N.E.) Ref. 123251)
Threat to humans: 
Country info:   
 

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