Description: Forms bright orange/red patches with no excurrent channels visible and very inconspicuous osculae. Surface has hispid appearance and is sometimes lightly silted. Patches very variable in size, from 3–20 cm maximum diameter.

Habitat: Moderately exposed,tideswept circalittoral rock at depths between 25–35 m.

Distribution: So far this species is only known from Rathlin Island, Co Antrim.

Similar Species: This species is most similar in spiculation to A. (Antho) involvens. It is distinguished by the presence of very large thick toxas (>500 by 12 μm), the ectosomal and choanosomal styles also reach much greater lengths than those found in A. (A.) involvens.

Key Identification Features:

• Bright orange-red encrusting sponge
• Very large, thick toxa

Distribution Map from NBN: Antho granditoxa at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Antho granditoxa at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Antho (Antho) granditoxa

WoRMS: Antho granditoxa at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Antho (Antho) granditoxa Picton & Goodwin, 2007. AphiaID: 255166.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Porifera; Demospongiae; Heteroscleromorpha; Poecilosclerida; Microcionidae; Ophlitaspongiinae; Antho