[Coral-List] missing purple vase sponge

Douglas Fenner dfenner at blueskynet.as
Tue Aug 2 12:02:19 EDT 2005


Melissa,
    The beautiful purple vase sponge that floresces blue is Callyspongia plicifera, one of the sponges that is diseased in Cozumel.  It may be missing in St. Croix because disease wiped it out.  Which is a good point, people need to not only look for diseased sponges, but also for any of these 7 species that used to be on their reefs, to see if they are still there.  We need to monitor sponges by species.  
  -Doug

Hello, Listers,
 
In the last few weeks that I've been intensively diving Cane Bay, on the north shore of St. Croix, USVI, I have noticed a complete absense of the beautiful purple vase sponge that floresces blue.  I'll have to go look up the proper Latin name.  I will be asking all the divers that I know if they see any in other locations.
 
Cheers,
 
Melissa Keyes
 
Saint Croix, US Virgin Islands



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