Scott & Jeanette Johnson, Kwajalein Unterwater
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Leucetta chagosensis Dendy, 1913
Leucetta chagosensis is a calcareous sponge in the family Leucettidae and was first described by Arthur Dendy in 1913. The specific epithet "chagosensis" comes from Latin with the ending -ensis, indicating that the species originated in the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean.
The lemon yellow sponge is found in the coastal waters of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean, where water temperatures range from 20 to 30 °C, depth ranges from 0 to 50 m, and salinity ranges from 30 - 35 PSU.
Leucetta chagosensis occurs in seaward reef caves, rarely in shallower waters up to about 20 m, but much more often in depths over 40 m. The growth habit of each sponge often appears to be “drip-dropping” or hanging from the cave ceiling like stalactites. The nudibranch Aegires citrinus was found feeding on this sponge.
Synonymised names:
Ascoleucetta sagittata Cavalcanti, Rapp & Klautau, 2013 · unaccepted (genus transfer and junior synonym)
Leucetta expansa Row & Hôzawa, 1931 · unaccepted (junior synonym)
Leucetta infrequens Row & Hôzawa, 1931 · unaccepted (junior synonym)
Leucetta chagosensis is a calcareous sponge in the family Leucettidae and was first described by Arthur Dendy in 1913. The specific epithet "chagosensis" comes from Latin with the ending -ensis, indicating that the species originated in the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean.
The lemon yellow sponge is found in the coastal waters of the Indian Ocean and the western Pacific Ocean, where water temperatures range from 20 to 30 °C, depth ranges from 0 to 50 m, and salinity ranges from 30 - 35 PSU.
Leucetta chagosensis occurs in seaward reef caves, rarely in shallower waters up to about 20 m, but much more often in depths over 40 m. The growth habit of each sponge often appears to be “drip-dropping” or hanging from the cave ceiling like stalactites. The nudibranch Aegires citrinus was found feeding on this sponge.
Synonymised names:
Ascoleucetta sagittata Cavalcanti, Rapp & Klautau, 2013 · unaccepted (genus transfer and junior synonym)
Leucetta expansa Row & Hôzawa, 1931 · unaccepted (junior synonym)
Leucetta infrequens Row & Hôzawa, 1931 · unaccepted (junior synonym)
