Demospongiae |
Dictyoceratida |
Irciniidae
Environment: milieu / climate zone / depth range / distribution range
Ecology
Sessile; brackish; depth range 1 - 100 m (Ref. 108813). Tropical; 25°C - 33°C (Ref. 86836)
Western Atlantic: Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico.
Length at first maturity / Size / Weight / Age
Maturity: Lm ?  range ? - ? cm Max length : 0.2 cm H male/unsexed; (Ref. 415)
Variable growth forms: massive-amorphous, globular, thickly encrusting, flabellate or irregularly branching. Reddish-brown to grey externally; tan internally. Conulose surface: 0.1 - 0.2 cm cm high; 0.2 - 0.3 cm apart. Membrane-bearing oscules: 0.1 - 0.8 cm wide; with white or dark rims, scattered. Compressible; rubbery, extremely tough to be cut. Spicules absent (Ref. 415, 85482).
Common on mangroves (Ref. 415). Massive forms usually found on reefs; while branching and more lobate forms inhabit quieter shallow inshore hard bottoms, sediment and seagrass beds (Ref. 85482).
Life cycle and mating behavior
Maturity | Reproduction | Spawning | Eggs | Fecundity | Larvae
Members of the class Demospongiae are hermaphroditic. Life cycle: The zygote develops into parenchymella larva (free-swimming) before settling down on a substrate where it grows into a young sponge.
Collin, R., M.C. Díaz, J. Norenburg, R.M. Rocha, J.A. Sánchez, M. Schulze, A. Schwartz and A. Valdés. 2005. (Ref. 415)
IUCN Red List Status (Ref. 130435)
CITES status (Ref. 108899)
Not Evaluated
Not Evaluated
Threat to humans
Human uses
| FishSource |
Tools
Internet sources
Estimates based on models
Preferred temperature
(Ref.
115969): 22.5 - 28, mean 25.5 (based on 336 cells).
Vulnerability
Low vulnerability (10 of 100).
Price category
Unknown.