Size

Colony height: 0.5cm (0.2"). Colony width: 4cm (1.6")

Recognition Characters

Thin body, heavily encrusts shell fragments, or other organisms. Surface is optically smooth with only microscopic openings. Consistency in life is leathery, tough, slightly compressible. The interior is microcavernous with confused masses of tylostyles. Spicules commonly tylostyles and spirasters.

Color

Red to reddish brown externally changing to brown or orange under cortex.

Habitat & Depth

Encrust rock surfaces, corals, and other hard substrates. To 30m

Distribution at GRNMS

Common.

Geographic Range

North Carolina south to the Bahamas, Gulf of Mexico

Behavior & Notes

Synonyms

References

Wells et al. 1960, Sterrer 1986