Yellow tube sponge
Aplysina fistularis
(Pallas, 1766)
Description:
Soft-walled tubes, usually in clusters joined at the base. Length of tubes up to 120 cm. In deeper water, the tubes tend to become longer than at shallow places. The surface is finely conulose and does not show the deep and meandering grooves of Aplysina lacunosa .
Color:
Yellow, orange to brownish. In natural light, especially in deeper water, they appear to be yellow-green. This is probably the result of fluorescent pigments.
Habitat:
Inhabit reefs in open water areas and are often growing on vertical walls.
Distribution:
Abundant in the Caribbean, from Florida to Venezuela.
Remarks:
In shallow water, the clusters tend to be shorter with antler-like growths extending from around the openings. This form is described as Aplysina insularis . However, no specimens of this form are known from Curacao till now.