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FAQs on Sponge Identification
19
Related Articles: Sponges in Marine
Aquariums
Related FAQs: Sponge ID
1, Sponge ID 2, Sponge ID 3, Sponge ID 4, Sponge
ID 5, Sponge ID 6, Sponge ID 7, Sponge ID
8, Sponge ID 9, Sponge ID 10, Sponge ID 10, Sponge ID 11, Sponge ID 12, Sponge ID 13, Sponge ID 14, Sponge ID 15, Sponge ID 16, Sponge ID 17, Sponge ID
18, Sponge ID 20,
Sponge ID 21, & Sponges 1, Sponges
2, Sponges 3, Sponge Selection, Sponge Compatibility, Sponge Systems, Sponge Feeding, Sponge Disease, Sponge Reproduction,
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Help identifying? 8/12/19
Hi!
<Ross>
I have a one-year-old, 180 gallon, cold, salt water tank. The only organisms in
the tank are two baby chain Catsharks, 1 brittle star and 1 sea star. I use the
Seneye reef monitoring system and all levels are
good. The other day, I saw the organisms pictured below growing on some the
rocks and sand. I make my seawater so nothing hitched a ride there.
I don't even know where to begin to classify these. Are they algae? Some sort of
invertebrate? Each is about 1 cm tall. Any ideas to what they are?
<Only a guess or two, based on the pix and the info. provided. My first is that
these are sponges... Likely Silicate based... could be other invertebrate life,
algae... Do you have a low power microscope? Maybe one w/ a USB connection that
you could dissect some, send pix? Bob Fenner>
Thanks so much.
Best,
Ross Henderson
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Re: Help identifying? 8/12/19
Hi Bob,
<Hey Ross>
We have some new microscopes that might have a USB port but I’ve never actually
tried that. I’ll take a look this week and see what I can find.
Thanks.
Ross
<Thank you. BobF>
Re: Help identifying? Mar. invert.... spg?
8/16/19
Hi Bob,
No luck yet on getting a picture yet. Once the school year starts, I'll ask my
colleagues if they have a camera attachment for the microscopes. If not, I'll
acquire one. I'll get back to you in a couple of weeks. Thanks for your help and
patience.
Ross
<Yeah mate. Do see here re my input on (the cheapy) scopes I have/use:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/microscopfaqs.htm
BobF>
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strange bags of something 5/20/17
Dear Wet Web Media, I hope you can help me identify whatever these bags are
attached to a rock in my saltwater aquarium. I would like to know if they
are bad stuff so I can remove them before anything comes out. I am
mystified.
<These are sponges, Poriferans; no worries. Bob Fenner>
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Id please? 10/31/16
Hi, can you please id this white substance? I thought maybe a type of sponge
but could not find it on your site. Thanks! Liana
<This is almost assuredly sponge/Poriferan material. To extents, assurance
of good system conditions here. Bob Fenner>
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Brown Growth Under and Around Zoanthids 12/25/15
Hello crew at WWM,
<Hey Jas>
I hope everyone is having a Merry Christmas!
<And to you and yours>
In the attached
photo, I’m trying to identify the substance that is spreading on the rocks near
the Zoanthid in the middle of the picture. It is brown, translucent and looks
like it has tubes with open holes in spots.
<Yes; my first guess is that this is a sponge of some sort. Second would be an
encrusting brown algae (like Ralfsia); third... oh, I see you mention this
below>
It has spread to some surrounding rocks and has grown on top of some green macro
strands that are attached to the rocks. I am thinking some kind of Tunicate or
Sea Squirt but all the pictures I have seen look more defined than what I have.
I have also considered some type of Sponge or even Cyano but I don’t think a
Sponge
would be so see through and I think that Cyano would be elsewhere in the tank
and would look more slimy.
<The only real way to tell here is to cut a piece off, look under a
microscope... use a reference. Not likely harmful... and will die back given
conditions that favor other life here>
Could it be somehow related to the Zoanthid being they are the same color?
<Mmm; not likely>
On a side note does the polyp on the white frag plug in the bottom left of the
picture look like Corynactis or Pseudocorynactis?
<Possibly the latter>
It’s hard to see but it has a reddish base, clear tentacles, and white balls on
the tips.
Thanks in advance for all your help and for the great service ya’ll provide in
answering questions and giving sound advice with all our aquatic needs. It is
GREATLY APPRECIATED!! Jason
<Cheers! Bob Fenner>
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Re: Brown Growth Under and Around Zoanthids 12/25/15
Bob, Thanks for the quick reply especially since it's Christmas Eve.
<Heeee! Done shopping, and cooking!>
Re: Brown Growth Under and Around Zoanthids 12/25/15
Since you think it's probably harmless, whatever it is, I'll just enjoy what I
have. I don't readily have access to a microscope or I would love to cut a slice
and look underneath one. Jason
<Oh! Do look into the QX series 'scopes.... think they're still about: Amazon?
Yikes; just looked. There's a BUNCH!
Here's the one I have/use:
http://www.amazon.com/ThinkGeek-P510002-Digital-Blue-Microscope/dp/B000059TF3
BobF>
Re: Brown Growth Under and Around Zoanthids 12/25/15
Thanks again Bob, Thanks for the link. I like that it is blue and that you can
hook it up to a PC.
<Yeah; and it has two light sources..... AND you can remove the optical bit and
place it where you want!!!>
Maybe I can talk my wife into getting it for me. Once again have a Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year!! Jason
<And you and yours Jas. B>
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Mystery Sponge ball 12/12/15
Hello! Just gotta say your pages have helped me ID at least 20 critters in my
tank, but this one finally has me stumped. I picked it up at a LFS, which
believes it was collected in south Florida.
<Ah yes; both sponges are from there>
I've spent probably 6 hours last night going through species pages and your
website to try to ID it, with no luck. There are two sponges pictured, but
mostly interested in the one with the large visible oscules. I just cant find a
sponge that has oscules like that, but is still an amorphous blob like this
thing is.
That's the only part of the sponge with those oscules as well. I guess my
biggest question is.. is this one of those sponges that if it dies it'll poison
everything in my tank?
<Mmm; no; on the lower end of the scale here... to Nudibranchs a bit; but I
doubt you stock these>
It's growing pretty fast and I'm concerned it could deplete it's food source in
my reef tank (only 30g).
<Don't think the latter is likely (I would def. keep all here); oh, and my guess
on the ball sponge is that it's an Aplysina species. Bob Fenner>
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Re: Mysterious Life Form 12/13/15
Thank you, gentlemen, for your quick and insightful response.-Bob
<Cheers! The other Bob>
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ID; SW 5/6/15
Do you think you can possibly tell me what this is in this picture?? It's
growing all over some live rock that I bought a couple weeks ago, it seems to
start out as a maroon colored spot and gets bigger and turns into these.
Is it some sort of sponge?
<Likely a sponge; yes. Next much less likely guess is some sort of Red Algae
(Rhodophyte); either are fine; indicative of good conditions. Bob Fenner>
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