| Common names: |
None. |
| Growth Form: |
Massive encrusting, sprawling, up to 2 cm thick; lateral extent ~15 cm but may be larger. |
| Surface: |
Smooth, faintly hispid with distinct canals converging on oscules; often partly covered by sediment. |
| Color: |
Brown, or red-brown; cream inside. Color remains in alcohol. |
| Consistency: |
Firm, tough, slightly compressible; cheese-like inside. |
| Exudate: |
None. |
| Oscules: |
Few, but clearly visible as somewhat sunken holes with distinct converging canals; irregularly distributed, ~0.5 cm across. |
| Skeletal Components (Spicules, Fibers): |
Straight smooth rods slightly tapering towards both ends, with one end pointed, the other bluntly rounded with a slight bulge near the tip (strongyloxea), occurring in a large size range (300-1000 x 2-42 3956;m) divisible into three overlapping length categories. The smallest spicules are concentrated in the peripheral region. Spongin only binds spicules together; no distinct fibers. |
| Skeletal Architecture: |
Spicules tend to occur perpendicular to the surface (radiate structure), especially at the periphery where the smaller spicules form a palisade, with their points outward. However, many spicules are confusedly arranged. |
| Ecology: |
On rocks in lagoons. |
| Distribution: |
South Florida, Caribbean coast of Mexico. |
| Notes: |
Brown, massive encrustations with a smooth surface and canals converging on oscules are diagnostic. Aaptos pernucleata is distinguished by its black color and slightly thinner spicules, which reach a greater length (over 1500 μm); in other aspects it is similar. Aaptos species of the Western Atlantic are in need of revision. Cliona varians and Chondrilla caribensis also occur as thick brown encrustations, but the former is typically lumpy with larger elevated oscules, while the latter is smooth and slippery. Neither have canals converging on oscules. |
| Reference(s): |
Topsent (1889, as Amorphina). |
| Similar species: |
Aaptos pernucleata |
Cliona varians |
Chondrilla caribensis |
|
