Sylvain Le Bris, Frankreich
Info
As an adult, Rhabdastrella globostellata is sessile, blending easily into the reef environment, sometimes making it difficult to distinguish from other sessile reef dwellers. Color variations range from light brown to dark brown, and the spherical shape with apical depressions means that no two specimens are identical. (a simple image search gives a good idea of the variations observed in the reef).
In the sea, these sea sponges are capable of overgrowing living coral colonies, as has happened in the Gulf of Mannar in the Indian Ocean.
A positive characteristic of sea sponges is their filtration capacity, which can reach up to 24,000 liters per day, depending on their size.
However, scientists are very interested in Rhabdastrella globostellata because it can be used to extract cytotoxic and antibacterial terpenoids.
The tiger cowrie Cypraea tigris feeds on the sponge, which competes with corals, in an Acropora-dominated reef in the Gulf of Mannar in the Indian Ocean.
Synonyms:
Aurora globostellata (Carter, 1883) · unaccepted (genus transfer)
Coppatias carteri (Ridley, 1884) · unaccepted
Geodia globostellata (Carter, 1883) · unaccepted (reverted genus transfer)
Jaspis carteri (Ridley, 1884) · unaccepted
Stelletta globostellata Carter, 1883 · unaccepted (genus transfer)
Stellettinopsis carteri Ridley, 1884 · unaccepted (genus transfer)
In the sea, these sea sponges are capable of overgrowing living coral colonies, as has happened in the Gulf of Mannar in the Indian Ocean.
A positive characteristic of sea sponges is their filtration capacity, which can reach up to 24,000 liters per day, depending on their size.
However, scientists are very interested in Rhabdastrella globostellata because it can be used to extract cytotoxic and antibacterial terpenoids.
The tiger cowrie Cypraea tigris feeds on the sponge, which competes with corals, in an Acropora-dominated reef in the Gulf of Mannar in the Indian Ocean.
Synonyms:
Aurora globostellata (Carter, 1883) · unaccepted (genus transfer)
Coppatias carteri (Ridley, 1884) · unaccepted
Geodia globostellata (Carter, 1883) · unaccepted (reverted genus transfer)
Jaspis carteri (Ridley, 1884) · unaccepted
Stelletta globostellata Carter, 1883 · unaccepted (genus transfer)
Stellettinopsis carteri Ridley, 1884 · unaccepted (genus transfer)
