DSC_6938 Yellow sponge (Hymeniacidon perlevis) detail at low tide, characterised by its shiny, wrinkled tangential skin. The brighter than usual coloration may be because it was growing in a dark and protected harbour environment, beneath a boat shed. Broad Bay *
DSC_1921 An intertidal sea cave open to the sea. Inside the cave, the vertical walls provide a damp, dark environment, supporting a community of colourful encrusting invertebrates such as sea squirts and sponges. Quarantine Point, Otago Harbour
P_2110068 Encrusting sponge, or koopuputai (Callyspongia stellata) soft, compressible and elastic,. Encrusts rock in the mid to low tide zone to depths of 20m. The purple is due to pigment in the amoebocytes (amoeba-like cells found throughout the sponge which store, digest and transport food). Quarantine Point, Otago Harbour *
