Tricheurypon viride

(Topsent, 1889)

Species Overview

Tricheurypon viride (Topsent, 1889) is a hairy greenish blue encrusting deep water sponge. It was originally described from the Caribbean, but subsequently reported from the Azores and the Mediterranean, and also from SW Ireland. It is doubtful whether the reported specimens all belong to one and the same species, but in the absence of contradictory evidence we maintain the present name.

Taxonomic Description

Colour: Blue green.
Shape, size, surface and consistency: Thinly encrusting, with strongly spined surface due to tylostyles projecting 2 mm beyond the ectosome.
Spicules: Megascleres : Tylostyles up to 2500 µm; acanthostyles 85 µm.
Microscleres : Trichodragmata (which may be homologous with ectosomal spicules) 60-70 µm.
Skeleton: Tylostyles and acanthostyles erect on the substratum. Trichodragmas scattered in the ectosomal region.
Ecology: On deep water corals, 80-800 m.
Distribution: SW Ireland; Mediterranean, Azores, Caribbean.
Etymology: Viridis (Latin) = green.
Type specimen information: The type is in the Muséum Nationale d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris.

Remarks

There are no discrepancies in spicule sizes between specimen reported from shallow-water Caribbean localities and deep-water Western European localities, but this does not mean these are all conspecific. Non-spicular characters may demonstrate differences.
Source: Stephens, 1920.