APHOTOMARINE

An educational resource dedicated mainly to the photography
and diversity of marine life that can be found in coastal waters
and intertidal areas of Great Britain and Ireland by David Fenwick.

Sponges are extremely complex and very hard to identify in the field with any certainty. Whilst every effort is taken to make sure the identities are correct, this might not always be the case. Please E-mail to report any mistakes or opinions.

Calcarea (Class)

Calcaronea (Subclass) > Baerida (Order) > Baeriidae (Family)

Leuconia
Leuconia johnstoni Carter, 1871 - A calcareous sponge
Leuconia nivea (Grant, 1826) - A calcareous sponge

Calcaronea (Subclass) > Leucosolenida (Order) > Grantiidae (Family)

Grantia
Grantia compressa (Fabricius, 1780)
- Compressed purse sponge

Calcaronea (Subclass) > Leucosolenida (Order) > Leucosoleniidae (Family)

Leucosolenia
Leucosolenia complicata (Montagu, 1818)
- A Silky lace sponge
Leucosolenia botryoides (Ellis & Solander, 1786)
- An Orange pipe or Silky lace sponge
Leucosolenia variabilis (Haeckel, 1870) ?
- A Silky lace sponge

Calcaronea (Subclass) > Leucosolenida (Order) > Sycettidae (Family)

Sycon
Sycon ciliatum (Fabricius, 1780) - Purse sponge

Unidentified species of calcarea
1. Pendant calcareous sponge (unidentified, not Sycon) Newlyn Marina, Cornwall, over 300mm+ in length.
2. Calcarea, unidentified, not Sycon.
Newlyn Marina, Cornwall, 04.09.20.
3. Encrusting calcareous sponge sub-class calcaronea, Albert Pier reef, Penzance, Cornwall. 6mm across.

Calcinea (Subclass) > Clathrinida (Order) > Clathrinidae (Family)

Clathrina
Clathrina coriacea (Montagu, 1814)
- White lace sponge -1
Clathrina coriacea (Montagu, 1814)
- White lace sponge -2
Clathrina lacunosa (Johnston, 1842) - A clathrinid sponge

Demospongiae (Class)

Astrophorida (Order) > Geodiidae (Family)

Pachymatisma
Pachymatisma johnstonia (Bowerbank in Johnston, 1842)
- Elephant Hide Sponge

Chondrosida (Order) > Halisarcidae (Family)

Halisarca
Halisarca dujardinii Johnston, 1842 - A sponge

Dendroceratida (Order) > Darwinellidae (Family)

Aplysilla
Aplysilla rosea (Barrois, 1876) - An encrusting sponge
Aplysilla sulfurea Schulze, 1878 - An encrusting sponge

Dictyoceratida (Order) > Dysideidae (Family)

Dysidea
Dysidea fragilis (Montagu, 1818) - Goosebump Sponge
Dysidea pallescens (Schmidt, 1862) ?
- An encrusting sponge

Hadromerida (Order) > Clionaidae (Family)

Cliona
Cliona celata Grant, 1826 - Yellow Boring Sponge
Cliona sp. - Boring forms of the Yellow Boring Sponge

Hadromerida (Order) > Polymastiidae (Family)

Polymastia
Polymastia boletiformis (Lamarck, 1815)
- Yellow Hedgehog Sponge
Polymastia penicillus (Montagu, 1814) ?
- Chimney sponge

Hadromerida (Order) > Suberitidae (Family)

Protosuberites
Protosuberites denhartogi van Soest & de Kluijver, 2003
- A suberitid sponge

Pseudosuberites
Pseudosuberites sulphureus (Bowerbank, 1866)?
- A suberitid sponge

Suberites
Suberites carnosus (Johnston, 1842)
- A suberitid sponge
Suberites domuncula (Olivi, 1792)
- Hermit-crab sponge
Suberites ficus (Johnston, 1842) Group
- Sea orange, Sulphur or Fig sponge -1
Suberites ficus (Johnston, 1842) Group
- Sea orange, Sulphur or Fig sponge -2
Suberites lutea Sole-Cava & Thorpe, 1986 ?
- A suberitid sponge

Terpios
Terpios gelatinosa (Bowerbank, 1866) syn. T. fugax
- Blue encrusting sponge

Suberitidae, suberitid sponge from
Albert Pier reef, Penzance, 18.08.20

Halichondrida (Order) > Halichondriidae (Family)

Halichondria
Halichondria (Halichondria) panicea (Pallas, 1766)
- Breadcrumb sponge

Hymeniacidon
Hymeniacidon perlevis (Montagu, 1818)
- Montagu's breadcrumb sponge

Haplosclerida (Order) > Haplosclerina (Suborder) > Chalinidae (Family)

Haliclona
Haliclona (Halichoclona) fistulosa (Bowerbank, 1866)
- A chalinid sponge
Haliclona (Haliclona) simulans (Johnston, 1842)
- A chalinid sponge
Haliclona (Reniera) cinerea (Grant, 1826)
- A chalinid sponge
Haliclona species possibly Haliclona (Rhizoniera) indistincta (Bowerbank, 1866) - A chalinid sponge (1)
Haliclona species possibly Haliclona (Rhizoniera) indistincta (Bowerbank, 1866) - A chalinid sponge (2)

Heteroscleromorpha (Subclass) > Axinellida (Order) > Axinellidae (Family)

Axinella
Axinella damicornis (Esper, 1794) ?
- Crumpled duster sponge
Axinella dissimilis (Bowerbank, 1866)
- Yellow staghorn sponge

Heteroscleromorpha (Subclass) > Axinellida (Order) > Raspailiidae (Family) > Raspailiinae (Subfamily)

Eurypon
Eurypon species possibly
Eurypon major Sarà & Siribelli, 1960 - A raspailiid sponge

Raspaciona
Raspaciona aculeata (Johnston, 1842)?
- A raspailiid sponge

Raspailia
Raspailia (Raspailia) ramosa (Montagu, 1814) ?
- Chocolate finger sponge

Heteroscleromorpha (Subclass) > Axinellida (Order) > Stelligeridae (Family)

Stelligera
Stelligera rigida (Montagu, 1814) - A stelligerid sponge

Demospongiae (Class) > Heteroscleromorpha (Subclass) > Biemnida (Order) > Biemnidae (Family)

Biemna
Biemna variantia (Bowerbank, 1858)?
- A biemnid sponge

Demospongiae (Class) > Heteroscleromorpha (Subclass) > Poecilosclerida (Order) > Esperiopsidae (Family)

Amphilectus
Amphilectus fucorum (Esper, 1794) ?
- Shredded carrot sponge

Ulosa
Ulosa stuposa (Esper, 1794) - A sponge

Demospongiae (Class) > Heteroscleromorpha (Subclass) > Poecilosclerida (Order) > Hymedesmiidae (Family)

Hymedesmia
Hymedesmia (Hymedesmia) jecusculum
(Bowerbank, 1866) - A hymedesmiid sponge
Hymedesmia (Stylopus) sp. - A hymedesmiid sponge

Phorbas
Phorbas fictitius (Bowerbank, 1866)
- A hymedesmiid sponge
Phorbas plumosus (Montagu, 1814)
- A hymedesmiid sponge
Phorbas sp. (Battery Rocks, Penzance, 04.06.20)
- A hymedesmiid sponge

Demospongiae (Class) > Heteroscleromorpha (Subclass) > Poecilosclerida (Order) > Microcionidae (Family) > Microcioninae (Subfamily)

Clathria (Microciona)
Clathria (Microciona) atrasanguinea (Bowerbank, 1862)
- An encrusting sponge

Demospongiae (Class) > Heteroscleromorpha (Subclass) > Poecilosclerida (Order) > Microcionina (Suborder) > Microcionidae (Family) > Ophlitaspongiinae (Subfamily)

Ophlitaspongia
Ophlitaspongia papilla Bowerbank, 1866
- An encrusting sponge

Demospongiae (Class) > Heteroscleromorpha (Subclass) > Poecilosclerida (Order) > Mycalidae (Family)

Mycale
Mycale sp. possibly Mycale macilenta - A mycalid sponge

Demospongiae (Class) > Heteroscleromorpha (Subclass) > Tethyida (Order) > Tethyidae (Family)

Tethya
Tethya citrina Sarà & Melone, 1965 - Golf ball sponge

Demospongiae (Class) > Heteroscleromorpha (Subclass) > Tetractinellida (Order) > Astrophorina (Suborder) > Ancorinidae (Family)

Dercitus
Dercitus (Dercitus) bucklandi (Bowerbank, 1858)
- Black tar sponge

Homoscleromorpha (Class)

Homosclerophorida (Order) > Oscarellidae (Family)

Oscarella
Oscarella species (1) Skilly, Newlyn. 17.06.15.
Oscarella species (2) Skilly, Newlyn. 17.06.15.
Oscarella species (3) Albert Pier, Penzance. 24.07.16.
Oscarella species (4) Fistral, Newquay 14.09.14.
Oscarella species (5) Spit Point, Par. 05.03.10.
Oscarella species (various images)

Sponges to Identify

For more information and images of sponges visit 'Sponges of Britain and Ireland' or 'Marlin' websites.