Caribbean Sea, Panama, Panamanian part of the Caribbean Sea, Southwestern Caribbean

Shape and size: Thinly encrusting species (2-5 mm thick), in patches from five to a few hundred cm2. Surface: Smooth. Oscules (1-2 mm diameter) on top of low volcano-shaped mounds (1-2 mm of height). Consistency: Crumbly and brittle. Colour: In live, dark purple, inside and out. Cream to white in alcohol. Ectosomal skeleton: No organization, spicules strewn tangentially. Choanosomal skeleton: Isotropic unispicular to paucispicular reticulation forming polygonal meshes (100-320 ¼m in diameter), and paucispicular primaries (2-3 spicules across) 200-300 ¼m apart. Filamentous cyanobacteria densely packed around the skeleton . Spicules: Fusiform to slightly hastate stout oxeas in one size class (230-320 x 8-15 ¼m), with pointed ends. Sigmas, c-shaped (10-26 x <1 ¼m). Ecology: The species was found growing in small patches on mangrove roots, empty shells, or coral rubble, and occasionally profusely overgrowing live corals. Also found on shallow reefs (0-15 m deep) growing over coral and bare rock substrates. 

Holotype for Xestospongia bocatorensis Diaz et al., 2007
Catalog Number: USNM 1106222
Collection: Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of Natural History, Department of Invertebrate Zoology
Preparation: Alcohol (Ethanol); Slide
Collector(s): M. Diaz & R. Thacker
Year Collected: 2005
Locality: Bocas del Toro region, Crawl Cay Canal, Panama, Caribbean Sea, North Atlantic Ocean
Depth (m): 12 to 12

Depth range based on 2 specimens in 1 taxon.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 10 - 12

Graphical representation

Depth range (m): 10 - 12
 
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