Rank Species | Class Demospongiae Genus Tethya Phylum Porifera Order Hadromerida | |
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Similar Tethya, Tethya citrina, Suberites, Cliona celata, Axinella damicornis | ||
Tethya aurantium, the golf ball sponge, or orange puffball sponge, is a species of demosponge belonging to the family Tethyidae. It is spherical in shape, with a warty surface, and grows to about 10 cm in diameter. Oscula are present on the upper surface. The surface has sharp protruding spicules which can cause skin irritation if touched.
It is found from southern Namibia round the southern African coast to KwaZulu-Natal, usually on shallow reefs.
References
Tethya aurantium Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA