''Sycon faulkneri'' 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 ...

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 ...

belonging to the

family Family (from la, familia) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). The purpose of the family is to maintain the well-being of its ...

Sycettidae Sycettidae is a family of calcareous sponges in the order Leucosolenida. References *http://www.marinespecies.org/aphia.php?p=taxdetails&id=131617 accessed 11 November 2010''Sycettidae''at Encyclopedia of Life The ''Encyclopedia of Life'' ( ...

. This is a small tubular sponge (less than 1 cm) found on soft substrates in deep waters in the Eastern

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ea ...

. Despite its recent discovery, this appears to be a common species, distinctive from other Mediterranean ''

Sycon ''Sycon'' is a genus of calcareous sponges 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 ar ...

'' by its small size and habitat.

References

Leucosolenida Animals described in 2003 {{calcarea-stub