Pachinion scriptum Roemer 1864Pachinion scriptum is one of the more common sponges. It is usually pear- or club-shaped, with an oscule 5 to 8 mm wide. Several individuals may be intergrown, as in the two pictures to the left. Commonly, the size is on the order of 50 to 100 mm. Parts of the surface (dark areas), particularly near the base, are usually covered with a dense layer (cortex), which is covered with numerous star-like dichotriaenes. The other areas show a coarse network made up of dicranoclones with wart-like surface sculpturing, grading into rhizoclone-like forms. |