Ryan Photographic - Sponges

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This section is based on playing "snap" with the few photos of identified sponges that are out there. Do not accept any of these species names as being accurate. If you are a sponge expert and can help with identifications I would really appreciate it.

 

Phylum Porifera

The Phylum name Porifera means "pore bearer" and is a reference to the characteristic feature of sponges - they nearly all feed by creating an inward water current and extracting bacteria and small animals from the water. The water is then expelled through large openings called oscula, The current is created by the combined beating of flagella housed in collar cells (choanocytes). The combined efforts of all the sponges on a coral reef is spectacular - it has been calculated they will filter the entire volume of water above them in a 24 hour period.

I have been advised by a friend who is an internet wiz that I should not link to external sites because it reduces the amount of time they spend at mine - and they may never come back. However there is a superb Wikipedia write-up about sponges and I am directing you to it only if you promise to come straight back. Promise?

Okay. Here it is - but remember you promised to come back. My photos are better than their's.

 

Calcarea

Leucetta species
leucetta sponge species

Tentatively identified as a Leucetta species. Can anyone help? Fiji.
leucetta species

Leucetta species? Fiji.

Demospongiae

Ailochroia crassa Purple tube sponge
purple sponge, Ailochroia crassa, Glover's Reef, Belize

SPONGE 3157 Ailochroia crassa, purple tube sponge, Glover's Reef, Belize.
purple sponge, Ailochroia crassa, Glover's Reef, Belize

SPONGE 3158 Ailochroia crassa, purple tube sponge, Glover's Reef, Belize.

Aplysina fistularis Tube sponge
tubde sponge and diver Belize

Aplysina fistularis Yellow tube sponge with diver.
yellow tube sponge and diver Belize

Aplysina fistularis Yellow tube sponge and diver, Belize.
tube sponge group Belize

Aplysina fistularis Yellow tube sponge group, Belize.
yellow tube sponge

Aplysina fistularis Yellow tube sponge, Belize.

Callyspongia plicifera

Callyspongia plicifera Vase sponge Belize

Callyspongia plicifera Vase sponge Belize

Callyspongia species
Callyspongia sponges, Sulawesi

Callyspongia sponges, Wakatobi, Sulawesi.
Callyspongia sponge Raja Ampat

SPONGE 2809 Callyspongia? sponge, Raja Ampat.

Cinachyra species

yellow golf ball sponge

SPONGE 1194 Yellow golf ball sponge, Cinachyra species, Raja Ampat, West Papua

Clathria mima
Clathira mima detail

SPONGE 7388 Clathria mima sponge detail, Taveuni, Fiji

Cliona delitrix, orange boring sponge
Cliona delitrix, orange boring sponge covered with symbiotic Parazoanthus parasiticus, Glover's Reef, Belize

SPONGE 3434 Cliona delitrix, orange boring sponge covered with symbiotic Parazoanthus parasiticus, Glover's Reef, Belize.
Cliona delitrix, orange boring sponge

SPONGE 3437 Cliona delitrix, orange boring sponge covered with symbiotic Parazoanthus parasiticus, Glover's Reef, Belize.

Cribrochalina species
Cribrochalina species Raja Ampat

SPONGE 2799 Cribrochalina species, Raja Ampat, West Papua.

Diacarnus species
Diacarnus sponge species, Kadavu. Fiji

Diacarnus sp, Kadavu, Fiji

Ianthella basta Elephant ear sponge
Elephant's ear sponge

SPONGE 1903 Ianthella basta Elephant ear sponge Raja Ampat, West Papua (photo by Dave Herrick)

Ircinia strobilina Black ball sponge
Ircinia strobilina Black ball sponge oscula Belize

Ircinia strobilina Black ball sponge oscula, Belize.

Latruncalia golf ball sponge
Latruncalia golf ball sponge

Latruncalia golf ball sponge and peanut worm, Fiordland, New Zealand.

Nara nematifera
Nara nematifera

SPONGE 0883 Nara nematifera Raja Ampat, West Papua

Plakortis species "Chicken liver sponge"
Plakortis sponge species

SPONGE 4855 Plakortis species "Chicken liver sponge", Taveuni, Fiji.

Xestospongia muta Giant barrel sponge
Xestospongia muta Giant barrel sponge

Xestospongia muta Giant barrel sponge, Glover's Reef, Belize.
Xestospongia muta Giant barrel sponge

Xestospongia muta Giant barrel sponge (vertical), Glover's Reef, Belize.
Xestospongia muta Giant barrel sponge

Xestospongia muta Giant barrel sponge, Glover's Reef, Belize.

Xestospongia testudinaria Giant barrel sponge
Xestospongia testudinaria Raja Ampat, West Papua

SPONGE 2094 Xestospongia testudinaria Raja Ampat, West Papua
Xestospongia testudinaria Giant barrel sponge, Verde Island, Puerto Galera, Philippines

SPONGE 7647 Xestospongia testudinaria Giant barrel sponge, Verde Island, Puerto Galera, Philippines.
Xestospongia testudinaria Giant barrel sponge, Verde Island, Puerto Galera, Philippines

SPONGE 7649 Xestospongia testudinaria Giant barrel sponge, Verde Island, Puerto Galera, Philippines.
Xestospongia testudinaria Giant barrel sponge, Verde Island, Puerto Galera, Philippines

SPONGE 7651 Xestospongia testudinaria Giant barrel sponge, Verde Island, Puerto Galera, Philippines.

Unidentified sponge 1
apricot sponge

SPONGE 4404 Unidentified sponge, Taveuni, Fiji.

Unidentified sponge 2
unidentified encrusting sponge

SPONGE 7381 Unidentified encrusting sponge, Taveuni, Fiji.

Unidentified sponge 3
Unidentified sponge Kadavu, Fiji

SPONGE 3607 Sponge, Kadavu, Fiji.

Unidentified sponge 4
Unidentified Fijian sponge

Unidentified sponge, Fiji.

Unidentified sponge 5
Blue encrusting sponge, Fiji

SPONGE 4038 Blue sponge, Taveuni, Fiji.
Blue encrusting sponge

SPONGE 7415 Unidentified blue sponge, Tavuni Fiji - it looks as if a semi-transparent blue ascidian is growing on this - but it may be part of the sponge.

Unidentified sponge 6
Unidentified sponge, Kadavu, Fiji

SPONGE 3569 Unidentified sponge, Kadavu, Fiji.

Unidentified sponge 7
Unidentfied sponge, Raja Ampat

SPONGE 3848 Unidentified sponge, Raja Ampat, West Papua.

Unidentified sponge 8
Sponge, Raja Ampat, West Papua

SPONGE 4015 Unidentified sponge, Raja Ampat, West Papua.

Unidentified sponge 9
Unknown sponge, Raja Ampat, West Papua

SPONGE 4134 Unidentified sponge, Kri Eco, Raja Ampat, West Papua.

Unidentified sponge 10
Unidentified sponge, Raja Ampat

SPONGE 3806 Unidentified sponge, Kri Eco, Raja Ampat, West Papua.

Unidentified sponge 11
Unknown sponge, Taveuni, Fiji

SPONGE 4863 Unidentified sponge, Taveuni, Fiji.

Unidentified sponge 12
Scarlet sponge, Taveuni

SPONGE 4849 Unidentified scarlet sponge, Taveuni, Fiji.

Unidentified sponge 13
Orange sponge, Fiji

SPONGE 4934 Unidentified orange sponge, Taveuni, Fiji.
close up of orange sponge, Taveuni, Fiji

SPONGE 4961 Close-up of orange sponge, Taveuni, Fiji.
Close-up of orange sponge, Taveuni, Fiji

SPONGE 4964 Close-up of orange sponge, Taveuni, Fiji.
Detail, orange sponge, Taveuni, Fiji

SPONGE 4939 Detail of orange sponge, Taveuni, Fiji.

Unidentified sponge 14
Orange "bread" sponge, Taveuni, Fiji

SPONGE 14 Orange "bread" sponge, Taveuni, Fiji.

Unidentified sponge 15
Orange sponge, Fiji

Unidentified orange sponge, Fiji.
orange sponge fiji

Unidentified orange sponge, Fiji.

Unidentified sponge 16
orange encrusting sponge, Fiji

SPONGE 3631 Encrusting sponge, Kadavu, Fiji.

Unidentified sponge 17
orange ijian sponge

SPONGE 4955 Orange sponge, Taveuni, Fiji.

Unidentified sponge 18
Kadavu sponge

SPONGE 7059 Sponge, Kadavu, Fiji.

Unidentified sponge 19
Sea grass sponges, Raja Ampat, West Papua

SPONGE 4303 Seagrass sponge, Kri Eco, Raja Ampat, West Papua

Unidentified sponge 20
sea grass sponges, Raja Ampat, West Papua

SPONGE 4307 Seagrass sponge, Kri Eco, Raja Ampat, West Papua.

Unidentified sponge 21
Unidentified seagrass sponge, Raja Ampat

SPONGE 4311 Sponge on seagrass, Kri Eco, Raja Ampat, West Papua.

Uinidentified sponge 22
sponge patten

Unidentified sponge, Fiji?

Unidentified sponge 23
Sponge, Kadavu, Fiji

SPONGE 3283, Kadavu, Fiji.

Unidentified sponge 24
sponge, Raja Ampat

SPONGE 0900 Sponge, Raja Ampat, West Papua (photo by Mike Agnew)

Unidentified sponge 25
Encursting sponges competing for space

Sponges competing for living space, Wakatobi, Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Unidentified sponge 26
Orange sponge being overgrown by ascidian

Orange encrusting sponge being overgrown by Didemnum ? compound ascidian, Glover's Reef, Belize

Unidentified sponge 27
Sponge reproducing through stolons, Taveuni, Fiji

SPONGE 7414 Sponge reproducing through stolons, Taveuni, Fiji.

Unidentified sponges 28
Collection of brilliantyl colored encrustin gspnges, Taveuni, Fiji.

SPONGE 7435 Collection of brilliantly colored encrusting sponges, Taveuni, Fiji.

Unidentified sponge 29

Yellow sponge, Taveuni, Fiji

SPONGE 4870 Yellow sponge, Taveuni, Fiji.

Unidentified sponge 30

two sponges, Rainbow Reef, Taveuni. Fiji

SPONGE 4936 Sponges, Rainbow Reef, Somosomo Strait, Taveuni, Fiji.

Unidentified sponge 31
Yellow sponge against blue water, Rainbow Reef, Taveuni

SPONGE 2498 Yellow sponge on the Rainbow Reef, Somosomo Strait, Taveuni, Fiji.

Unidentified sponge 32
UNidentified sponge Kri Eco, Raja Ampat

SPONGE 8555 Kri Eco, Raja Ampat

Unidentified sponge 33

Unidentified sponge with ascidians Kri Eco, Raja Ampat

SPONGE 8553 Unidentified sponge and ascidians, Kri Eco, Raja Ampat.

Unidentified sponge 34
Unidentified sponge Kri Eco, Raja Ampat

SPONGE 8657 Unidentified sponge Kri Eco, Raja Ampat.

Unidentified sponge 35
sponge

SPONGE 8660 Unidentified sponge Kri Eco, Raja Ampat.

 

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