Suberites ficus
Encyclopedia
Suberites ficus is a species
of sponge in the family
Suberitidae
. It is sometimes known as the sea orange sponge.
Sponges are primitive animals with little apparent internal organisation. They are composed of a jellylike mesohyl
sandwiched between two layers of cells and have a fragile skeleton composed of stiff spicules
. They are filter feeders, maintaining a flow of water through their structure which passes out through large openings called oscula
.
in 1766 for Alcyonium ficus but it is unclear exactly which animal he was describing and it is now thought that it may have been an ascidian
. Linnaeus in 1767, Esper
in 1794 and Lamarck
in 1814 also used the name but it was not until Johnston described the spicules as well as the sponge which he named Halichondria ficus in 1842 that it became clear what sponge was being described. Further research needs to be undertaken to clarify the position. Suberites suberia was at one time thought to be a synonym
but molecular analysis has shown that it is a distinct species. Suberites farinaria is a similar but encrusting sponge but it is thought to be a juvenile form of S. ficus. Another species, Suberites virgultosa, used to be considered a synonym but is now considered a valid species in its own right. Suberites domuncula may also be synonymous and further study is required.
, mostly towards the top of the sponge.
On microscopic examination it can be seen that the megascleres are in two sizes, one twice as large as the other. There are very few microscleres, and these are one tenth of the size of the megascleres. The skeleton is composed of spicules arranged radially near the surface, but chaotically in the interior. There may be gemmules near the base of the sponge.
than elsewhere. It is widely distributed around the shores of the British Isles especially the western coasts.
and is also found on harbour structures and wreckage. When it grows on a stone or an empty gastropod
or bivalve
shell it may completely engulf it. It sometimes grows on a shell housing a living hermit crab
.
s. The male and female gamete
s may not be released simultaneously and sperm may be drawn in to the vascular system of another individual. Fertilisation is internal and the ciliated
larva
e are liberated into the water column and become part of the zooplankton
. Asexual reproduction
also takes place, either by budding or through the development of gemmules. These are "survival pods" and remain dormant under normal conditions. They can become active when a period of adverse conditions such as an excessive exposure to low temperatures comes to an end.
. This may be because it has an unpleasant odour or because the spicules make it unpalatable. It is eaten however by some marine gastropods and some nudibranch
s. It forms part of the diet of the Northern bluefin tuna
(Thunnus thynnus).
When the sponge grows on a shell occupied by a hermit crab there may be mutual
advantages to both. The sponge benefits from the crab's ability to move away from predators such as nudibranchs, while the crab may benefit from the sponge's unpalatability and the camouflage
it provides.
S. ficus ssp rubrus is being investigated as a possible source of antibiotics, anti-fouling and other biologically active compounds because it was noticed that when the shells of cultivated scallops, family Pectinidae
, were host to this sponge, no other invertebrates fouled
the shells.
Species
In biology, a species is one of the basic units of biological classification and a taxonomic rank. A species is often defined as a group of organisms capable of interbreeding and producing fertile offspring. While in many cases this definition is adequate, more precise or differing measures are...
of sponge in the family
Family (biology)
In biological classification, family is* a taxonomic rank. Other well-known ranks are life, domain, kingdom, phylum, class, order, genus, and species, with family fitting between order and genus. As for the other well-known ranks, there is the option of an immediately lower rank, indicated by the...
Suberitidae
Suberitidae
Suberitidae is a family of demosponges belonging to the order Hadromerida....
. It is sometimes known as the sea orange sponge.
Sponges are primitive animals with little apparent internal organisation. They are composed of a jellylike mesohyl
Mesohyl
The mesohyl, formerly known as mesenchyme, is the gelatinous matrix within a sponge. It fills the space between the external pinacoderm and the internal choanoderm...
sandwiched between two layers of cells and have a fragile skeleton composed of stiff spicules
Sponge spicule
Spicules are structural elements found in most sponges. They provide structural support and deter predators. Large spicules, visible to the naked eye are referred to as megascleres, while smaller, microscopic ones are termed microscleres.- Structure :...
. They are filter feeders, maintaining a flow of water through their structure which passes out through large openings called oscula
Osculum
The osculum is an excretory structure in the living sponge, a large opening to the outside through which the current of water exits after passing through the spongocoel. Wastes diffuse into the water and the water exits through the osculum at a velocity of nearly 8.4 cm/second, carrying away with...
.
Taxonomy
The name "ficus" was first used by PallasPeter Simon Pallas
Peter Simon Pallas was a German zoologist and botanist who worked in Russia.- Life and work :Pallas was born in Berlin, the son of Professor of Surgery Simon Pallas. He studied with private tutors and took an interest in natural history, later attending the University of Halle and the University...
in 1766 for Alcyonium ficus but it is unclear exactly which animal he was describing and it is now thought that it may have been an ascidian
Ascidiidae
Ascidiidae is a family of tunicates in the class Ascidiacea.Some species contain elevated amounts of vanadium.There are 4 genera:* Ascidia* Ascidiella* Phallusia* Psammascidia...
. Linnaeus in 1767, Esper
Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper
Eugenius Johann Christoph Esper was a German entomologist. Born in Wunsiedel in Bavaria, he was professor of zoology at Erlangen university.-Life and work:...
in 1794 and Lamarck
Jean-Baptiste Lamarck
Jean-Baptiste Pierre Antoine de Monet, Chevalier de la Marck , often known simply as Lamarck, was a French naturalist...
in 1814 also used the name but it was not until Johnston described the spicules as well as the sponge which he named Halichondria ficus in 1842 that it became clear what sponge was being described. Further research needs to be undertaken to clarify the position. Suberites suberia was at one time thought to be a synonym
Synonym
Synonyms are different words with almost identical or similar meanings. Words that are synonyms are said to be synonymous, and the state of being a synonym is called synonymy. The word comes from Ancient Greek syn and onoma . The words car and automobile are synonyms...
but molecular analysis has shown that it is a distinct species. Suberites farinaria is a similar but encrusting sponge but it is thought to be a juvenile form of S. ficus. Another species, Suberites virgultosa, used to be considered a synonym but is now considered a valid species in its own right. Suberites domuncula may also be synonymous and further study is required.
Description
S. ficus is a large sponge growing up to thirty or forty centimetres across. It is usually some shade of orange or red, especially in brightly lit places, but sometimes is greyish or brownish in dimmer locations. The shape is irregular and varies, sometimes being lobose, sometimes cushion-like and sometimes encrusting. It has a smooth-looking surface but this feels rough to the touch. There are a small number of large osculesOsculum
The osculum is an excretory structure in the living sponge, a large opening to the outside through which the current of water exits after passing through the spongocoel. Wastes diffuse into the water and the water exits through the osculum at a velocity of nearly 8.4 cm/second, carrying away with...
, mostly towards the top of the sponge.
On microscopic examination it can be seen that the megascleres are in two sizes, one twice as large as the other. There are very few microscleres, and these are one tenth of the size of the megascleres. The skeleton is composed of spicules arranged radially near the surface, but chaotically in the interior. There may be gemmules near the base of the sponge.
Distribution
S. ficus has a global distribution but it is more abundant in the north east and north west Atlantic OceanAtlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
than elsewhere. It is widely distributed around the shores of the British Isles especially the western coasts.
Habitat
S. ficus is found growing on rocks from the lower shore down to a depth of two hundred metres and prefers locations with strong tidal flows. It often grows among seaweedSeaweed
Seaweed is a loose, colloquial term encompassing macroscopic, multicellular, benthic marine algae. The term includes some members of the red, brown and green algae...
and is also found on harbour structures and wreckage. When it grows on a stone or an empty gastropod
Gastropoda
The Gastropoda or gastropods, more commonly known as snails and slugs, are a large taxonomic class within the phylum Mollusca. The class Gastropoda includes snails and slugs of all kinds and all sizes from microscopic to quite large...
or bivalve
Bivalvia
Bivalvia is a taxonomic class of marine and freshwater molluscs. This class includes clams, oysters, mussels, scallops, and many other families of molluscs that have two hinged shells...
shell it may completely engulf it. It sometimes grows on a shell housing a living hermit crab
Hermit crab
Hermit crabs are decapod crustaceans of the superfamily Paguroidea. Most of the 1100 species possess an asymmetrical abdomen which is concealed in an empty gastropod shell that is carried around by the hermit crab.-Description:...
.
Biology
Members of this genus are generally hermaphroditeHermaphrodite
In biology, a hermaphrodite is an organism that has reproductive organs normally associated with both male and female sexes.Many taxonomic groups of animals do not have separate sexes. In these groups, hermaphroditism is a normal condition, enabling a form of sexual reproduction in which both...
s. The male and female gamete
Gamete
A gamete is a cell that fuses with another cell during fertilization in organisms that reproduce sexually...
s may not be released simultaneously and sperm may be drawn in to the vascular system of another individual. Fertilisation is internal and the ciliated
Cilium
A cilium is an organelle found in eukaryotic cells. Cilia are slender protuberances that project from the much larger cell body....
larva
Larva
A larva is a distinct juvenile form many animals undergo before metamorphosis into adults. Animals with indirect development such as insects, amphibians, or cnidarians typically have a larval phase of their life cycle...
e are liberated into the water column and become part of the zooplankton
Zooplankton
Zooplankton are heterotrophic plankton. Plankton are organisms drifting in oceans, seas, and bodies of fresh water. The word "zooplankton" is derived from the Greek zoon , meaning "animal", and , meaning "wanderer" or "drifter"...
. Asexual reproduction
Asexual reproduction
Asexual reproduction is a mode of reproduction by which offspring arise from a single parent, and inherit the genes of that parent only, it is reproduction which does not involve meiosis, ploidy reduction, or fertilization. A more stringent definition is agamogenesis which is reproduction without...
also takes place, either by budding or through the development of gemmules. These are "survival pods" and remain dormant under normal conditions. They can become active when a period of adverse conditions such as an excessive exposure to low temperatures comes to an end.
Ecology
S. ficus does not have many predatorsPredation
In ecology, predation describes a biological interaction where a predator feeds on its prey . Predators may or may not kill their prey prior to feeding on them, but the act of predation always results in the death of its prey and the eventual absorption of the prey's tissue through consumption...
. This may be because it has an unpleasant odour or because the spicules make it unpalatable. It is eaten however by some marine gastropods and some nudibranch
Nudibranch
A nudibranch is a member of what is now a taxonomic clade, and what was previously a suborder, of soft-bodied, marine gastropod mollusks which shed their shell after their larval stage. They are noted for their often extraordinary colors and striking forms...
s. It forms part of the diet of the Northern bluefin tuna
Northern bluefin tuna
The Northern bluefin tuna is a species of tuna in the Scombridae family. It is variously known as the Atlantic bluefin tuna, giant bluefin tuna and formerly as the tunny. Atlantic bluefin are native to both the western and eastern Atlantic Ocean, as well as the Mediterranean Sea...
(Thunnus thynnus).
When the sponge grows on a shell occupied by a hermit crab there may be mutual
Mutualism
Mutualism is the way two organisms of different species biologically interact in a relationship in which each individual derives a fitness benefit . Similar interactions within a species are known as co-operation...
advantages to both. The sponge benefits from the crab's ability to move away from predators such as nudibranchs, while the crab may benefit from the sponge's unpalatability and the camouflage
Camouflage
Camouflage is a method of concealment that allows an otherwise visible animal, military vehicle, or other object to remain unnoticed, by blending with its environment. Examples include a leopard's spotted coat, the battledress of a modern soldier and a leaf-mimic butterfly...
it provides.
S. ficus ssp rubrus is being investigated as a possible source of antibiotics, anti-fouling and other biologically active compounds because it was noticed that when the shells of cultivated scallops, family Pectinidae
Pectinidae
The Pectinidae are a family of bivalve mollusks including the scallop and closely related to the clam and oyster. They are hermaphrodite, and the male gonads mature first. Pectinidae can live attached by means of a filament they secrete, or are simply recumbent. Their valves can propel them...
, were host to this sponge, no other invertebrates fouled
Fouling
Fouling refers to the accumulation of unwanted material on solid surfaces, most often in an aquatic environment. The fouling material can consist of either living organisms or a non-living substance...
the shells.