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Hymedesmia paupertas

(Boerbank, 1866)


Richard Yorke Looking at Tony Gilbert's picture, then reading Claire Goodwin's comments, are these small patches of Hymedesmia paupertas on the rock. Taken at about 22m on Lullworth Banks last July.

Claire Goodwin Looks like one patch of H. paupertas with the pore sieves protruding above silt on the substrate surface (so looking like small patches). The blue/green colour and pore sieves are the main ID features - no other UK sponges with this colour.

Chris Wood Nice Epizoanthus too (much more interesting than the sponge!) Could I see the original please Richard as a possibility for the new Anemone book?

Tony Gilbert Seems quite hard to find and photograph does this sponge. My contribution is: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=243091979158226&set=a.173485702785521.38902.100003722780643&type=3&theater Found on Inish Is., Forth of Lorne last May.

Charlotte Bolton Hey Richard, did your sightings get included on Matt's form for that dive? I'll add H. p. to our records :-)

Richard Yorke I've only just had confirmation of what it is, so no, it has not been reported yet. Thanks for updating it.

Charlotte Bolton No problem - just fighting with the 2012 dataset with a view to getting shot of it ASAP. Unfortunately Marine Recorder just keeps on giving :-(

Message posted on Seasearch Identifications on 21 Jan 2013
Jeremy Pierce Are these all Hymedesmia paupertas??? All over the rock surfaces at 16-20m on the Mewstone reef, Plymouth. The 3rd pic was a sponge about 30cm high not attanched to a rock surface other than at the base of course.

David Kipling Diplosoma spongiforme. Name suggests it looks like a sponge but has heart, blood system, gut etc ....

Message posted on Seasearch Identifications on 21 Sep 2013
Andy Horton MARINE LIFE NEWS BULLETIN TORPEDO (April 2012) Issue 185 ISSN 1464-8156 For technical reasons, TORPEDO is no longer being sent out by EMail. It is simply easier to view the bulletins on the web pages. Please find a copy of the bulletin at: http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Torpedo2012April.htm includes Recent Marine Wildlife News including: Spiny Seahorses, Hippocampus guttulatus, washed up on the shore at Knoll Beach(Studland Bay) on the Dorset coast sea slug Doris ocelligera Pictures of Cardigan Bay Dolphins 2011 and updated news Featured species: Blue Sponge, Hymedesmia paupertas Coastal feature: Bow Fiddle Rock, Portknockie MARINE LIFE NEWS BULLETIN TORPEDO INDEX http://www.glaucus.org.uk/Torpedo2.htm

Jim Anderson Loch Fyne, Scotland - 19 February 2012 At 20 m on edge and underside of a small rock - ID please.

Claire Goodwin I would think Hymedesmia paupertas because of the colour(very few sponges are blue or blue/green) and the pore sieves - it looks like we have a complex of these though and what we are calling this might be several different species. Did you change the colour at all post dive? - looks very bright.

Jim Anderson Thanks Claire - Just to white balance the RAW file to the flash temp and sharpen a little.

Message posted on NE Atlantic Porifera on 20 Feb 2012
Tony Gilbert Lochgarry wreck, Rathlin, Northern Ireland, at around 27m. Looks sponge-like next to the Caryophilia smithii, but as yet not Id'd it. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.173485702785521.38902.100003722780643&type=1#!/photo.php?fbid=240053162795441&set=a.173485702785521.38902.100003722780643&type=3&theater

David Kipling Yes, def not a squirt.

David Kipling Sarah has suggested a colour morph of Hemimycale columella.

Claire Goodwin I agree with David and Sarah. There is also Hymedesmia paupertas to the top right of the coral (the blue sponge). This pale orange colour form is quite common.

Tony Gilbert Thanks all for clearing this one up, I'll add it to my records. I've seen many formed H. columella (Phorbas fictitus), but not like this. The Hymedesmia paupertas, yes I see it, thanks.

Claire Goodwin What do you mean by 'formed' H.columella Tony?

Tony Gilbert The Hemimycale I've seen previously tended to be more deeply cratered. https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.173485702785521.38902.100003722780643&type=1#!/photo.php?fbid=243358845798206&set=a.173485702785521.38902.100003722780643&type=3&theater

Claire Goodwin Don't think this is H.columella Tony. Have you colour corrected the image. H. col is usually orangey or pink even when it doesn't have the distinctive white edges and a much firmer texture. Probably a Phorbas or Hymedesmia but would need a sample to say which one for sure.

Claire Goodwin We also have a yellow undescribed Hemimycale from Scotland but haven't found it on Rathlin yet I don't think (? Bernard Picton).

Bernard Picton Trouble is we have several undescribed things which are a bit like this?

Tony Gilbert Thanks Claire and Bernard, that's good news then - better to find these and be challenged as to their identity. Colour I was expecting was paler orange or rose-pink, and H. columella rims of the depressions are of a lighter colouration. so 1 out of 2 for this, whereas Phorbas has the same colouration on the rims - and have seen this quite often. It wasn't the colour I was expecting for H. columella either but other than that appeared to be it (Rathlin shot here): https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.173485702785521.38902.100003722780643&type=3#!/photo.php?fbid=188368181297273&set=a.173485702785521.38902.100003722780643&type=3&theater I've just checked the location of the yellow sponge, Isle of Man, in the Sugar Loaf Caves (Jul-2012), so it would have lower light levels and different habitat conditions, depth would be 12-15m, and is located at the western-central end of the large swimthrough, on the inner side wall, about 2m up from the floor (the eastern end is much more narrow and dark).

Message posted on Seasearch Identifications on 20 Jan 2013
Taxonomy
Animalia (Kingdom)
  Porifera (Phylum)
    Demospongiae (Class)
      Poecilosclerida (Order)
        Myxillina (Suborder)
          Hymedesmiidae (Family)
            Hymedesmia (Genus)
              Hymedesmia paupertas (Species)
Associated Species