The surface is sparsely covered with small conical protrusions, which are caused by the tips of horny fibres embedded in the tissues.

Water is drawn in through pores known as ostia at the base of the sponge and ejected from the oscuili which are situated in slight depressions at the tips of the processes.

[3] This sponge accumulates brominated isoxazoline alkaloids in its tissues at concentrations of up to 10% of its dry body weight.

Certain metabolic derivatives of these isoxazolines, such as dienone and aeroplysinin, are not distasteful to the fish, but may have anti-microbial properties that protect the sponge from bacterial pathogens.

[4] This sponge also bioaccumulates radionuclides, and has been used as a model organism to study the presence of isotopes such as americium-241 in seawater.