Polymastia invaginata Kirkpatrick, 1907
provided by British Antarctic Survey
Description
Greenish grey to yellow. Hemispherical and bristly with one or two large conical papillae which contract when disturbed. The sponge reaches a diameter of up to 11cm.
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Species distribution
18 to 1,266m from Sub-Antarctica and South Georgia to the Antarctic Peninsula and Continent. Polymastia invaginata is commonly found on cliffs. It grows on hard surfaces, but can also grow in muddy areas by settling on small stones and then extending out onto the mud. It appears to be able to remove sediment build-up, possibly by contracting and relaxing.
Suspension feeder, preyed upon by seastars such as Perknaster fuscus (when juvenile) and Odontaster meridionalis, and by the dorid nudibranch Austrodoris kerguelenensis. Its larvae have been observed in aquaria to disperse by crawling
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