divepix - Scattered Pore Rope Sponge

Scattered Pore Rope Sponge

Aspect:	Brown to purple (generally, but also red and mustard-green) fairly-rigid and irregularly shaped rope-like structure shooting a few inches out of the ground before eventually forking out branches, and finally drooping down under the laws of gravitation only to curve upwards again. Branch tips are often flattened.
Population:	Common.
Notable feature:	As the name indicates, the rimmed pores (in fact the excurrent openings) look like semi-recessed pop-rivet heads randomly distributed along the branches, which distinguishes it from Row-Pore Rope Sponge (q.v.). Close-up of a broken branch below reveals the species' porous structure.
Environment:	As pictures herewith show, can grow from almost any substrate offering a suitable base for the development of a strong encrusting platform.
Behaviour:	-