Tube ball sponge, lacey ball sponge • Leucosolenia eleanor
Photos by Bridget Woods
Identification
This white calcareous sponge forms compact balls or tufts of small branched tubes. Each tube is less than 3 mm wide. Tube ball sponges get to 5-15 cm in diameter and are attached to substrates by a thin stalk.
Habitat & Range
This sponge species attaches to rocks in the intertidal and shallow subtidal. It is found from the Aleutian Islands to southern California, often on open coastlines. It also occurs in Japan.
Similar Species
The spaghetti ball sponge (Leucosolenia nautilia) is a white to off-white sponge with a looser growth form.
This white calcareous sponge forms compact balls or tufts of small branched tubes. Each tube is less than 3 mm wide. Tube ball sponges get to 5-15 cm in diameter and are attached to substrates by a thin stalk.
Habitat & Range
This sponge species attaches to rocks in the intertidal and shallow subtidal. It is found from the Aleutian Islands to southern California, often on open coastlines. It also occurs in Japan.
Similar Species
The spaghetti ball sponge (Leucosolenia nautilia) is a white to off-white sponge with a looser growth form.
References
Harbo, R. M. (2011). Whelks to whales: Coastal marine life of the Pacific Northwest [revised]. Madeira Park, BC: Harbour Publishing. P. 30
Lamb, A., and Hanby, B. (2005). Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest [electronic version]. Madeira Park, BC: Harbour Publishing.
Authors and editors of page
Kelly Fretwell and Brian Starzomski (2015).
Harbo, R. M. (2011). Whelks to whales: Coastal marine life of the Pacific Northwest [revised]. Madeira Park, BC: Harbour Publishing. P. 30
Lamb, A., and Hanby, B. (2005). Marine Life of the Pacific Northwest [electronic version]. Madeira Park, BC: Harbour Publishing.
Authors and editors of page
Kelly Fretwell and Brian Starzomski (2015).
