''Aplysina fistularis'', also known as the yellow tube sponge, is a species of sea sponge in the order Verongiida. ''Aplysina fistularis'' is a golden or orange-brown color with a conulose surface. The animal is abundant in the Caribbean, where it is commonly found in reefs of open water areas. This sponge was first described by the Prussian zoologist

Peter Simon Pallas Peter Simon Pallas Fellow of the Royal Society, FRS FRSE (22 September 1741 – 8 September 1811) was a Prussian zoologist and botanist who worked in Russia between 1767 and 1810. Life and work Peter Simon Pallas was born in Berlin, the son ...

in 1766.

Description

''Aplysina fistularis'' consists of one or more yellow tube-like structures that arise from a closed base and are

sessile Sessility, or sessile, may refer to: * Sessility (motility), organisms which are not able to move about * Sessility (botany), flowers or leaves that grow directly from the stem or peduncle of a plant * Sessility (medicine), tumors and polyps that ...

. The sponge has wide oscula and thin walls with ridged surfaces. Each tube is rarely over in clear water but can reach in turbid-zone reefs. Unlike the related species ''

Aplysina insularis ''Aplysina insularis'', commonly known as the yellow-green candle sponge or yellow candle sponge, is a species of sea sponge found on reefs in the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. Description ''Aplysina insularis'' is a large sponge and con ...

'', ''A. fistularis'' does not develop rope-like projections around its tubes, although it may show some branching tendrils. ''A. fistularis'' does not have a silicate skeletal structure like most sponges, and was used as a bath sponge before the invention of synthetic sponges. The primary predator of ''A. fistularis'' is the

hawksbill turtle The hawksbill sea turtle (''Eretmochelys imbricata'') is a critically endangered sea turtle belonging to the family Cheloniidae. It is the only extant species in the genus ''Eretmochelys''. The species has a global distribution, that is large ...

Reproduction

''Aplysina fistularis'' can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Asexual reproduction usually occurs only if a piece of the body is broken off. Newly formed sponges require a hard surface to attach to and grow on. If a reef is heavily disturbed, such as being covered by algae or sediment, ''A. fistularis'' may struggle to establish itself and grow.

In popular culture

In ''

The SpongeBob Musical ''SpongeBob SquarePants: The Broadway Musical'' (originally titled ''The SpongeBob Musical'', later retitled as such for the national tour) is a stage musical, co-conceived and directed by Tina Landau with songs by various artists and a book by K ...

'', the popular animated character

SpongeBob SquarePants ''SpongeBob SquarePants'' (or simply ''SpongeBob'') is an American animated comedy television series created by marine science educator and animator Stephen Hillenburg for Nickelodeon. It chronicles the adventures of the title character a ...

is revealed to be an ''Aplysina fistularis''.

References

External links

* Verongimorpha Fauna of the Atlantic Ocean Taxa named by Peter Simon Pallas Animals described in 1766 SpongeBob SquarePants {{demosponge-stub