Phorbas pustulosus

Phorbas pustulosus, or the baseball glove sponge, is a species of demosponge known from the coast of South Africa and from the Patagonian Shelf.

Phorbas pustulosus
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Porifera
Class:	Demospongiae
Order:	Poecilosclerida
Family:	Hymedesmiidae
Genus:	Phorbas
Species:	P. pustulosus
Binomial name
Phorbas pustulosus (Carter, 1882)
Synonyms[1]
Anaata pustulosa (Carter, 1882) Clathria (Microciona) pustulosa (Carter, 1882) Halichondria pustulosa (Carter, 1882) Pronax pustulosa (Carter, 1882)

Description

This pale dirty peach sponge grows upright with its irregular branches forming a hand-like form. The surface is slightly rough and covered in bumps, also known as pustules. It is firm and tough. It may grow up to a length of 130 millimetres (5.1 inches) and a width of 120 mm (4.7 in).^[2]

Distribution

The baseball glove sponge is known from the southern and western coasts of South Africa and from the Patagonian Shelf. It is found at a depth of 43–128 m (141–420 ft).^[2]