ORDER
Clathrinida
FAMILY
Soleneiscidae
TAXONOMY
Soleneiscus radovani Wörheide & Hooper, 1999, south side of Wistari Reef, Great Barrier Reef, 56 ft (17 m) depth.
OTHER COMMON NAMES
None known.
PHYSICAL CHARACTERISTICS
Aborescent, bushy, with single, delicate tubes branching dichotomous and polychotomous from a few central tubes. Bright yellow color. Central, proximal tube larger than the distal tubes; tubes ramify only in the lower part of the sponge "bush." Distal parts of tubes mostly longer than ramified parts. Single tubes approximately 0.08 in (2 mm) in diameter. Size of the sponge "bush" is less than 4 in (10 cm). One naked osculum on top of each tube. Soft and delicate texture, easily torn. Sagittal tetractines only make up skeleton. Tangentially arranged facial plane of tetractines forms wall of tubes, with the longer ray of basal triradiate system pointing in direction of central tube (growth axis). The curved and free actines of tetractines protrude into tube, tips of the free actines bent in direction of osculum. Asconoid grade of aquiferous system. Only one spicule type is present. Non-curved, longer unpaired actine of basal triradiate system approximately 120–200 µm × 8–12 µm, the paired shorter (curved) actines of pseudosagittal basal plane approximately 85–130 × 8–12 µm.
DISTRIBUTION
Currently only described from the Great Barrier Reef, probably wider distribution in the tropical western Pacific.
HABITAT
Small patches of coral, under overhangs.
BEHAVIOR
Sessile.
FEEDING ECOLOGY AND DIET
REPRODUCTIVE BIOLOGY
Viviparous, details not known.
CONSERVATION STATUS
Not listed by the IUCN.
SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS
None known.
