Haliclona oculata

Haliclona oculata, sometimes known by the common name mermaid's glove, is a species of sea sponges that is found in depths from 4m to approx 1,000 m.

Haliclona oculata
In the Netherlands
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Porifera
Class:	Demospongiae
Order:	Haplosclerida
Family:	Chalinidae
Genus:	Haliclona
Subgenus:	Haliclona
Species:	H. oculata
Binomial name
Haliclona oculata Pallas, 1776
Synonyms
List Axinella oculata (Linnaeus, 1759) Axinella oculata tavaresi Bethencourt-Ferreira, 1923 Chalina arbuscula Verrill, 1873 Chalina cervicornis (Pallas, 1766) Chalina grantii Bowerbank, 1866 Chalina oculata (Linnaeus, 1759) Diplodemia vesicula Bowerbank, 1864 Euchalinopsis (Chalina) oculata (Linnaeus, 1759) Euchalinopsis oculata (Linnaeus, 1759) Halichondria cervicornis Johnston, 1842 Halichondria oculata (Linnaeus, 1759) Haliclona occulata Grant, 1841) [lapsus] Haliclona oculata (Linnaeus, 1759) Isodictya grantii (Bowerbank, 1866) Isodictya pygmaea Bowerbank, 1866 Siphocalina oculata Spongia cespitosa Rafinesque, 1818 Spongia coalita Müller, 1776 Spongia lanuginosa Esper, 1794 Spongia oculata sensu Pallas, 1766 Spongia oculata Linnaeus, 1759 Veluspa gracilis Miklucho-Maclay, 1870 Veluspa polymorpha Miklucho-Maclay, 1870

Distribution

Haliclona oculata is found in the North Atlantic Ocean and also in South Africa.

Description

Haliclona oculata grows to a size of about 30 cm and has a soft texture.

Ecology

This species feeds on particles in the water.