65 Order Axinellida Family sp.

COLOUR: yellow-orange TEXTURE AND SURAFCE: elastic, compressible, fleshy surface DIMENSIONS: stands up to 9cm high DESCRIPTION: the is raised on a short pedicel from which short, stumpy fingers arise. Fingers are blunt ended and often joined together OCCURRENCE: Raphoxya Garden, common Axinella sp.

COLOUR: orange TEXTURE AND SURFACE: flexible fingers with stiff internal axis, hispid feel DIMENSIONS: stands up to 35cm high, fingers 1.0cm in diameter DESCRIPTION: fingers flattened in one plane and orientation of fingers into a fan at right angles to the current. Stipe always short. In the photograph to the right of Axinella sp. is a small Raspailia topsenti and two Aaptos aaptos. OCCURRENCE: abundant in Sponge Garden and Raphoxya Garden Pararaphoxya pulchra (Br^ndsted) 1923

COLOUR: orange TEXTURE AND SURFACE: flexible, hispid and pitted surface DIMENSIONS: up to 20cm high, fingers 1.0cm diameter DESCRIPTION: fingers bifurcated and rounded. Oscules form stellate patterns on the fingers. Stipe short and thick. In the foreground of the picture is a Cinachyra sp. OCCURRENCE: Sponge Garden, abundant 72

Raphoxya (Acanthella) cactiformis Carter 1881

COLOUR: bright red TEXTURE AND SURFACE: stiff, fleshy surface DIMENSIONS: stands up to 20cm high, fan 3cm thick and 25cm wide DESCRIPTION: fan raised on a short pedicel, surface raised into firm conules OCCURRENCE; Raphoxya Garden, abundant 69

Pseudaxinella australis Bergquist 1970

COLOUR: orange-red TEXTURE AND SURFACE: compressible, slimy surface DIMENSIONS: can cover an area of 25x25cm, up to 2cm in height DESCRIPTION: produces lots of mucus. In the photograph acn be seen individual columns of spongin fibres OCCURRENCE: Sponge Garden, Sediment Flats, Raphoxya Garden, moderately common YO

Family Desmoxyidae Acanthoclada prostrata Bergquist 1970

COLOUR: yellow-orange TEXTURE AND SURAFCE: soft, slimy 2 DIMENSIONS: a thin covering of 0.5cm thickness and up to 100cm area DESCRIPTION: surface raised in small peaks where the spongin columns end. Produces mucus. Also shown in the photograph is a two fingered Raspailia topsenti. OCCURRENCE: Sponge Garden, Raphoxya Garden, not common 71 Family Sigmaxinellidae Biemna sp.

COLOUR: purple surface, dirty yellow internally TEXTURE AND SURFACE: soft and velvet like DIMENSIONS: patches up to 20x20cm, sponge 2cm thick DESCRIPTION: this species grows in sandy areas and often the only evidence of its presence are the protruding oscular turrets. Also in the photograph is an Aaptos aaptos. OCCURRENCE: Sponge Garden, Raphoxya Garden, Waterfall Reef, Sediment Flats

100p

si g mas microxeas^ Co — . i i—i—i 50)J 50JJ

T.S. number of spicules y much \7\ reduced in fig. Family Raspailiidae Raspailia agminata Hallmann 1914

COLOUR: dark brown externally, yellow-brown inside TEXTURE AND SURFACE: very soft, hispid and lumpy surface DIMENSIONS: covers large areas up to 30x30cm, 2-3cm thick DESCRIPTION: long protruding spicules give the sponge a silvery appearance OCCURRENCE: Deep Reef, Waterfall Reef out on the flats,common

l L_J 100 jj a cant h o sly I e 100p Raspailia topsenti Dendy 1924

COLOUR: orange TEXTURE AND SURFACE: flexible and soft, minutely hispid DIMENSIONS: stands up to 30cm high, fingers up to 2cm in diameter DESCRIPTION: fingers blunt ended and round, sponge raised on a small pedicel OCCURRENCE: Sponge Garden, Sediment Flats, Outer Waterfall Reef, Raphoxya Garden, Deep Reef, common

raphides ______74

Eurypon hispida Bergquist 1970

COLOUR: red and orange colours TEXTURE AND SURFACE: hispid with long projecting spicules 2 DIMENSIONS: very thin, 0.5cm or less, patches up to 12cm DESCRIPTION: this species lives under the sand and is almost transparent OCCURRENCE: abundant in the Sponge Garden, Sediment Flats 75

Eurypon sp.

COLOUR: red TEXTURE AND SURFACE: firm, hispid DIMENSIONS: thin, 0.5cm or less, covers areas up to lOxlOcm DESCRIPTION: stellate oscule pattern OCCURRENCE: Deep Reef