Brain sponge

Species of sponge

Brain sponge

Scientific classification
Domain:  | Eukaryota
Kingdom:  | Animalia
Phylum:  | Porifera
Class:  | Demospongiae
Order:  | Poecilosclerida
Family:  | Isodictyidae
Genus:  | Isodictya
Species:  |

I. elastica

Binomial name
Isodictya elastica

(Vosmaer, 1880)

Synonyms

* Desmacidon elastica Vosmaer, 1880
* Homoeodictya elastica (Vosmaer, 1880)

The brain sponge (Isodictya elastica) is a species of marine demosponge in the family Isodictyidae.[1] This sponge is known from the west coast of South Africa to Port Elizabeth. It is endemic to this region.[2]

## Description[edit]

The brain sponge may grow to 20 cm across. It has a smooth surface, covered with many scattered oscula. It may be beige to pink in colour and grows in two forms: one massive and convoluted, rather like a brain, and the other with narrowing fingers. Its texture is soft and compressible.[2][3]

## Habitat[edit]

This sponge lives on rocky reefs subtidally to 25m.

## References[edit]

1. ^ "WoRMS - World Register of Marine Species - Isodictya elastica (Vosmaer, 1880)". www.marinespecies.org. Retrieved 19 November 2010.
2. ^ a b 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
3. ^ Jones, Georgina. A field guide to the marine animals of the Cape Peninsula. SURG, Cape Town, 2008. ISBN 978-0-620-41639-9

Taxon identifiers

Isodictya elastica|

* Wikidata: Q2017396
* Wikispecies: Isodictya elastica
* CoL: 3Q86C
* GBIF: 2244338
* iNaturalist: 671211
* IRMNG: 10814114
* NCBI: 2737405
* OBIS: 168455
* Open Tree of Life: 2837445
* WoRMS: 168455

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