APHOTOMARINE

An educational resource dedicated mainly to the photography
and diversity of marine life that can be found in coastal waters
and intertidal areas of Great Britain and Ireland by David Fenwick.

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Elephant hide sponge
Pachymatisma johnstonia
- specimen in sea cave 1

Elephant hide sponge
Pachymatisma johnstonia
- specimen in sea cave 2

Elephant hide sponge
Pachymatisma johnstonia
- on 0.1mm division rule 1

Elephant hide sponge
Pachymatisma johnstonia
- spicules 1

Elephant hide sponge
Pachymatisma johnstonia
- spicules 2

Specimen above was found on the side wall of a very small cave, on the low tide mark of a low spring tide, at Skilly, south of Newlyn, Cornwall. 17.06.15.

Elephant hide sponge
Pachymatisma johnstonia
- washed-up / decomposing 1

Elephant hide sponge
Pachymatisma johnstonia
- washed-up / decomposing 2

Elephant hide sponge
Pachymatisma johnstonia
- washed-up / decomposing 3

Specimen above found washed-up on the lowershore near Mylor Yacht Club, Mylor Churchtown, near Falmouth, Cornwall. 28.10.10.

Species might have broken off and washed ashore as a result of oyster dredging in the area. The sponge should be a greyish or slate grey colour, therefore the colour seems to have bleached out on decomposing. The smell is as rotten as rotten can be.

The main objective of this website is in furthering environmental awareness and education through the medium of photography. To increase awareness and access to the wildlife of the region and help

people find and identify it. Sometimes the difference between species is obvious but many species can only be determined by observing microscopic characteristics that are specific to any one species.