Red encrusting sponge

Red encrusting sponge
Scientific classification
Domain:	Eukaryota
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Porifera
Class:	Demospongiae
Order:	Poecilosclerida
Family:	Microcionidae
Genus:	Clathria
Subgenus:	Isociella
Species:	C. oudekraalensis
Binomial name
	Clathria oudekraalensis; Samaai & Gibbons, 2005
Synonyms
	Clathria oudekraalensis;

The red encrusting sponge (Clathria oudekraalensis) is a species of sea sponge.^[1] It is known only from the South African coast, on both sides of the Cape Peninsula. It is endemic to this region.^[1]

Description

The red encrusting sponge grows to about 1 cm in thickness and up to 30 cm wide. It is a bright red encrusting sponge. Its surface is smooth and the oscula are not visible.^[1]^[2]

Habitat

This sponge lives on rocky reefs in 6-24m of water.^[2]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Samaai, T. and Gibbons, M.J. 2005. Demospongiae taxonomy and biodiversity of the Benguela region on the west coast of South Africa. Afr. Nat. Hist. 1(1):1-96
^ ^a ^b Jones, Georgina. A field guide to the marine animals of the Cape Peninsula. SURG, Cape Town, 2008. ISBN 978-0-620-41639-9

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[Samaai-1] Samaai, T. and Gibbons, M.J. 2005. Demospongiae taxonomy and biodiversity of the Benguela region on the west coast of South Africa. Afr. Nat. Hist. 1(1):1-96

[Jones_2008-2] Jones, Georgina. A field guide to the marine animals of the Cape Peninsula. SURG, Cape Town, 2008. ISBN 978-0-620-41639-9

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[2]