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September 6, 2020: Barrel Sponge

Close up of a giant barrel sponge, Xestospongia muta, which provides habitat for many creatures including a squat lobster (right) and a brittle star (left). Imaged within the Pulley Ridge Habitat Area of Particular Concern, off the southwest coast of Florida.

Image courtesy of Coral Ecosystem Connectivity 2014 Expedition. Download larger version (jpg, 825 KB).

Close up of a giant barrel sponge, Xestospongia muta, which provides habitat for many creatures including a squat lobster (right) and a brittle star (left). Imaged within the Pulley Ridge Habitat Area of Particular Concern, off the southwest coast of Florida.

From: The Flora and Fauna of Pulley Ridge – the Deepest Mesophotic Reef off the Continental U.S.