''Amphilectus strepsichelifer'' is a species of
demosponge
Demosponges (Demospongiae) are the most diverse class in the phylum Porifera. They include 76.2% of all species of sponges with nearly 8,800 species worldwide (World Porifera Database). They are sponges with a soft body that covers a har ...
s found in the Atlantic waters around
Cape Verde
, national_anthem = ()
, official_languages = Portuguese
, national_languages = Cape Verdean Creole
, capital = Praia
, coordinates =
, largest_city = capital
, demonym ...
, western Africa.
The species name is a combination of the Latin ''strepsis'' = twisted, and ''chelifer'' = bearing
chelae
A chela ()also called a claw, nipper, or pinceris a pincer (biology), pincer-like organ at the end of certain limbs of some arthropods. The name comes from Ancient Greek , through New Latin '. The plural form is chelae. Legs bearing a chela are ...
, reflecting the twisted condition of the chelae.
The species was discovered in 1986 in the waters of
Canal de São Vicente
The Canal de São Vicente is a strait of the Atlantic Ocean separating the islands of Santo Antão and São Vicente, Cape Verde. At its narrowest point, it is wide. The ferry route between the ports of Porto Novo on Santo Antão and Mindelo on ...
, west of
São Vicente, at about 350 m depth, on hard bottom. This is the only place where it has been observed.
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References
Poecilosclerida
Fauna of Cape Verde
Animals described in 2012
{{Demosponge-stub