Agelas

Agelas is a genus of demosponge. It is the only member of the family Agelasidae.

Ecology and distribution

Members of this genus are filter feeders. and occur in the West Indies, the Mediterranean Sea, the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean in shallow tropical and subtropical waters down to a depth of 30 metres (98 ft) or exceptionally 50 metres (160 ft).

Spicules

Some authorities report that the spongin fibres contain no coring spicules while others report that there are some of variable length. Fernando Parra-Velandia however, describing the Caribbean species in the group, writes that "The presence of verticillated acanthostyle spicules and a fibroreticulate skeleton of spongin fibres cored and/or echinated by spicules characterize this group."

Species

The World Register of Marine Species includes the following species in the genus:

References