Quasillina brevis

(Bowerbank, 1861c)

Species Overview

Quasillina brevis (Bowerbank, 1861c) is a pale orange, stalked, oval, bladder-like sponge. It occurs in deep water, coming up into shallow water in Arctic waters.

Taxonomic Description

Colour: Pale, transparent orange.
Shape, size, surface and consistency: (Polymastia brevis Bow.) Small stalked sponges with elongate-oval bladder-like main body. Up to 5.5 cm high and 2.5 cm in widest diameter. Surface optically smooth, faintly velvety. There is a single small oscule at the apex, slightly elevated above the surface. Consistency of surface tough, leathery, inside soft, almost hollow.
Spicules: Tylostyles to strongyloxeas, with barely developed elongate heads and shaft gradually constricted subterminally, fusiform, with gradually tapering sharp points, in two size classes: 800-1000 x 3-20 µm, and 200 x 3 µm.
Skeleton: Small tylostyles form an ectosomal palisade carried by tangentially arranged intercrossing bundles of large tylostyles. Largest tylostyles form bundles irregularly crossing the large organic inner parts.
Ecology: On rocks, 15-700 m
Distribution: Sweden, Norway, Faroes, Roscoff, SW Ireland; Mediterranean.
Etymology: Brevis (Latin) = short, referring to the stalk which intergrades almost completely with the main body.
Type specimen information: BMNH 1910.1.1.1250 (slide), Norman Collection.

Remarks

The shape in combination with the skeletal structure make this an easily recognizable sponge.
Source: Topsent, 1900.