Clathria compressa, also known as Clathria (Clathria) compressa, is a species of sea sponge in the family Microcionidae. It is the type species of the genus Clathria.
It is described by Lévi, 1960Lévi, C. (1960). Les démosponges des côtes de France: 1. Les Clathriidae [The Demospongiae of the French coasts: 1. The Clathriidae]. Cahiers de Biologie Marine. 1 (1): 47-87. as follows: arbuscular sponge, erect, averaging 40-45 mm in height, pedunculate, with compressed, lamellar branches, particularly near their distal end, frequently anastomosing, forming a series of cavities with flaky walls. Orange in color, always gray or brownish after preservation.
The skeleton is plumoreticular and composed of multi-spiculated and single-spiculated fibres that incorporate the slightly divergent main styles.
Spicules: Main subtylostyles smooth, or furnished with very fine spines at the base, slightly curved, with a barely perceptible base: 130-450 μm in length by 10-18 μm in diameter. Accessory acanthostyles, whose sharp spines are often recurved and are more abundant in the apical half: 75-130 μm x 7-9 μm. Auxiliary straight subtylostyles, with smooth or spiny heads: 110-250 μm x 6 μm. Palmate isochelae, always slender: 6-9 μm. Toxa with fairly pronounced flexion and points furnished with spines: 40-65 μm, 80-120-170 μm; height at the center 15-35 μm.
Distribution: Mediterranean (Adriatic, Naples, Banyuls, Algeria) and Atlantic (Senegal).
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