Mustard
sponge
Dactylospongia elegans*
Family Thorectidae
updated
Oct 2016
Where
seen? This encrusting sponge is sometimes seen on coral rubble on our Southern shores.
Features: Thin encrustation with short (2-5cm) finger-like upright branches. Surface rubbery, spiky and prickly when the sponge is out of water. Large holes at the tips of the 'fingers' or widely separated. Colour uniform mustard (yellowish brown).
Sometimes confused with Yellow prickly branching sponges (Pseudoceratina purpurea,
Family Pseudoceratinidae) which looks very similar. The two kinds of sponges
are difficult to tell apart in the field. |
*Species are difficult
to positively identify without close examination.
On this website, they are grouped by external features for convenience
of display.
| Mustard sponges on Singapore shores |
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Links
References
- Lim Swee
Cheng, Nicole de Voogd and Tan Koh Siang. 2008. A
Guide to Sponges of Singapore. Singapore Science Centre.
173pp.
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