d
Another
Clathria prolifera on the side of a dock in San Francisco Bay. This one is mostly encrusting, with branches just starting to grow out.
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c
Clathria prolifera growing out from the side of a dock in San Francisco Bay. The “undergrowth” includes translucent sea squirts (
Ciona savignyi) and yellow and blue sponges.
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b
Another orange
Clathria prolifera from San Francisco Bay.
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Clathria prolifera Key Image
Two orange specimens of
Clathria prolifera from San Francisco Bay, with a yellow sponge (
Halichondria bowerbanki) growing on one of them.
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Clathria prolifera (Ellis and Solander, 1786)
RED BEARD SPONGE
Clathria prolifera is the
only red or orange, branching sponge on the US West Coast.
It grows out from an encrusting base in thin, finger-like, anastomosing branches
that are about 6 mm in diameter, forming a bushy mass that can reach 20 cm
in height. In some specimens the branches coalesce into undulating, drapery-like
fans or walls. The encrusting base is less than 3 mm thick and may range from
a few to 20 cm across.
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Sargassum muticum Image 6
East shore of San Francisco Bay. The dark band in shallow water a few feet out from shore is
Sargassum muticum, growing within a narrow depth range.
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5
Sargassum muticum in San Francisco Bay.
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4
Sargassum muticum attached to rocks on sandy bottom in San Francisco Bay.
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3
Upper branch of a
Sargassum muticum plant from San Francisco Bay, showing float bladders and leaves with toothed edges.
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2
Lower portion of a
Sargassum muticum plant from San Francisco Bay, showing the long, blade-like leaves in this part of the plant.
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Clathria prolifera
