More than 2200 species of the wild flora and fauna photographed in Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, Mexico and the surrounding area.
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Sponges of Zihuatanejo
PHYLUM PORIFERA
Mycale cecilia
-Demosponges (Class Demospongiae)
-Subclass Heteroscleromorpha
-Order Poecilosclerida
-Family Mycalidae
-Genus Mycale
-Subgenus Carmia
-Mycale cecilia
Mycale cecilia is a species of marine sponge in the genus Mycale, family Mycalidae. It occurs in the eastern Pacific, particularly along the Pacific coast of Mexico, where it inhabits shallow rocky reefs and subtidal habitats. Mycale cecilia typically forms thin encrusting sheets or low, cushion-like masses that spread over rock surfaces. The texture is soft to slightly compressible, and the surface may appear smooth or finely textured, sometimes with small visible pores and scattered oscula (exhalant openings). Coloration varies but often includes shades of pink, reddish, orange, or tan, depending on environmental conditions and associated microorganisms. Like other sponges, it is a filter feeder, drawing seawater through microscopic pores to extract bacteria, plankton, and organic particles.
Description
• Mycale cecilia is a marine sponge in the family Mycalidae, class Demospongiae. Members of the genus Mycale vary considerably in shape and texture, forming encrusting, lobed, or branching growths. Their bodies contain silica spicules that provide structural support, and their surfaces are covered with numerous small pores used for water circulation. Species-specific information on the appearance of M. cecilia is limited.
Range
• The precise global distribution of Mycale cecilia is not well documented in readily available species accounts. It is native to Zihuatanejo, Guerrero, and the surrounding area.
Habitat
• Like other marine sponges in the genus, Mycale cecilia lives attached to submerged surfaces. Suitable habitats include rocky substrates, coral rubble, and other firm surfaces in coastal waters and reef environments.
Diet
• Mycale cecilia is a filter feeder, capturing bacteria, microscopic plankton, and suspended organic particles as water passes through its porous body. It may also absorb dissolved organic matter from the surrounding seawater.