Petrosia


Petrosia is a benthic genus of sponges belonging to the family Petrosiidae.

Diet

They are filter feeders, and their diet is composed of microorganisms, including bacteria, fungi, plankton, and unicellular algae. Certain species can also absorb dissolved organic matter directly from the water. Other species host symbiotic cyanobacteria, which can provide additional nutrition via photosynthesis.

Distribution

The pgenus has an almost [cosmopolitan distribution, with species found in habitats from temperate to tropical waters and from the intertidal zone to deep waters.

Description

Petrosia comprises sponges with a characteristic hard, stony, and brittle texture, primarily due to their dense network of siliceous spicules. While the group is morphologically diverse—exhibiting forms such as branching, cylindrical, globular, or bowl-shaped structures—the internal skeleton structure is a more consistent classifying feature. The surface of these sponges]p is typically rough or granular and punctuated by numerous, often small and scattered, oscules. The spicules, which can be seen under a microscope, are generally long, slightly curved rods with pointed or rounded ends. The coloration of Petrosia is variable; many species are dark reds, browns, or blacks, but some exhibit bright, vivid colors like yellow, often influenced by the presence of symbiotic cyanobacteria.

Species

  1. Petrosia australis Bergquist & Warne, 1980
  2. Petrosia borealis
  3. Petrosia brachysclera Lévi & Lévi, 1989
  4. Petrosia canariensis de Weerdt & van Soest, 1986
  5. Petrosia capsa Desqueyroux-Faúndez, 1987
  6. Petrosia clavata
  7. Petrosia crassa
  8. Petrosia cretacea
  9. Petrosia crustata Wilson, 1925
  10. Petrosia densissima Dendy, 1905
  11. Petrosia elephantotus Ilan, Gugel & van Soest, 2004
  12. Petrosia ernesti Goodwin & Downey, 2021
  13. Petrosia expansa
  14. Petrosia (Petrosia) ficiformis
  15. Petrosia granifera Desqueyroux-Faúndez, 1987
  16. Petrosia hebes Lendenfeld, 1888
  17. Petrosia hoeksemai de Voogd & van Soest, 2002
  18. Petrosia incrustata
  19. Petrosia intermedia
  20. Petrosia lignosa Wilson, 1925
  21. Petrosia mammiformis Dendy, 1922
  22. Petrosia massiva Lehnert & van Soest, 1996
  23. Petrosia microxea
  24. Petrosia nigricans Lindgren, 1897
  25. Petrosia pellasarca
  26. Petrosia pigmentosa Fromont, 1991
  27. Petrosia plana Wilson, 1925
  28. Petrosia pluricrustata Lévi & Lévi, 1983
  29. Petrosia pulvilla
  30. Petrosia puna de Laubenfels, 1951
  31. Petrosia punctata Lévi & Lévi, 1983
  32. Petrosia raphida Boury-Esnault, Pansini & Uriz, 1994
  33. Petrosia revizee Rocha, Moraes, Salani & Hajdu, 2021
  34. Petrosia seychellensis Dendy, 1922
  35. Petrosia shellyi Pulitzer-Finali, 1993
  36. Petrosia solida Hoshino, 1981
  37. Petrosia solusstrongyla Hoshino, 1981
  38. Petrosia spheroida Tanita, 1967
  39. Petrosia truncata Ridley & Dendy, 1886
  40. Petrosia ushitsuensis Tanita, 1963
  41. Petrosia volcano Hoshino, 1976
  42. Petrosia weinbergi van Soest, 1980