First insights into the microbiome of a carnivorous sponge
Lycopodina hypogea
Asbestopluma hypogea (class: Demospongiae, order Poecilosclerida, family: Cladorhizidae) is a carnivorous sponge isolated from a Mediterranean shallow-water in the submarine cave (3PP, La Ciotat, France). The sponge colonized the rocky surface of the cave at around 20 meters depth from the inlet. This tiny sponge is formed of an ovoid body with numerous filaments on its surface supported by a thin peduncle. Samples were collected in July 2009 and in May 2011 by scuba diving in the 3PP cave (La Ciotat, France) at a depth of 17 meters.  Sponges were collected with a fragment of the rocky cave wall to preserve the sponge integrity. Immediately after collection, the sponges were placed on a 3L container of seawater and transferred to the laboratory.