Clathrina clathrus

Yellow network sponge

   Clathrina clathrus is a calcareous sponge of 10 cm in diameter forming a tangle of tubes which are between 0,5 and 3 mm in diameter and interconnected in a very dense network. The oscules, quite visible, are located at the intersections of the largest tubes. It is translucent and bright yellow. Yellow network sponge lives attached to rocky overhangs, crevices and on cave walls in calm water areas.
It is found from 1 to 20 m deep, in the Mediterranean Sea and in the North-Western Atlantic Ocean from Canary Islands to the British Isles, but its distribution is probably not so septentrional.

Close species:

 Clathrina coriacea is a rather similar calcareous sponge but it is white.

Classification:

 Phylum Porifera, class Calcarea, order Clathrinida, family Clathrinidae, Clathrina clathrus (Schmidt, 1864).

Page glossary:

Calcareous sponge: Sponge with limestone carbonate spicules.
Oscule: Opening generally quite visible, through which sponges expel water they have filtered to extract food particles.

Authors:

Photograph:  © Wilfried Bay-Nouailhat. Published with author's kind permission.
Clathrina clathrus, Illes Medes, Costa Brava, East of Spain. Depth 15 meters.
Text:  Wilfried Bay-Nouailhat © 2006-2008.
Translation:  Anne Bay-Nouailhat © 2007-2008.