''Clathrina luteoculcitella'' is a
species
In biology, a species is the basic unit of classification and a taxonomic rank of an organism, as well as a unit of biodiversity. A species is often defined as the largest group of organisms in which any two individuals of the appropriate s ...
of
calcareous sponge
The calcareous sponges of class Calcarea are members of the animal phylum Porifera, the cellular sponges. They are characterized by spicules made of calcium carbonate in the form of calcite or aragonite. While the spicules in most species hav ...
from Australia. The species name means "yellow pillow" and refers to the appearance of the
cormus Cormus ( : cormi) (from ancient Greek: κορμός, ''kormόs,'' 'stem') is the appearance of a plant that belong to Cormophyte (Pteridophyte and Spermatophyte). In cormus, the vegetative apparatus is no longer a Thallus, such as Algae, that can't ...
.
Description
Holotype massive yet delicate. The cormus has folds and is formed of thin, irregular and tightly anastomosed tubes. However, in the interior, tubes are loosely anastomosed. Oscula are simple apertures surrounded by a thin membrane. There are no water-collecting tubes. The skeleton comprises equiangular and equiradiate triactines and diactines. The actines of the triactines are conical, slightly undulated and sharp. Diactines are straight and one of the tips is thicker than the other one. They are found perpendicular to the surface of all tubes (not just the external tubes) and the largest tip penetrates the cormus. The mesohyl is full of bacteria.
References
World Register of Marine Species entry
Clathrina
Animals described in 1999
Sponges of Australia
Taxa named by John Hooper (marine biologist)
Taxa named by Gert Wörheide
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