Synopsis
The Demosponge Hemimycale columella contains both a siliceous, spicular skeleton and unusual calcareous spherules. In formalin or glutaraldehyde fixed specimens, the spherules are observed as extracellular, irregular concretions, 2 to 55 μm in diameter. They are made of a non-magnesian calcite. Their occurence, size and morphology are variable according to fixation procedures, and they were not observed in living specimens. Although they were mentionned only in H. columella, preliminary observations indicate that nearly similar spherules exist in an undescribed Red Sea sponge which may belong to the same genus.
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Vacelet, J., Donadey, C., Froget, C. (1987). The Calcium Carbonate Spherules of Hemimycale Columella (Demosponges, Poecilosclerida) and Their Taxonomic Value. In: Vacelet, J., Boury-Esnault, N. (eds) Taxonomy of Porifera. NATO ASI Series, vol 13. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-70892-3_13
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-70892-3_13
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