Wikipedia

List of sponges of Ireland

There are 290 species of sponges recorded in Ireland, although the true figure is thought to be close to 500; 134 species were recorded off Rathlin Island alone.[1][2][3][4]

Numbers of sponge species recorded in each of 232 marine ecoregions of the world. Irish waters are shaded red, indicating the high diversity of sponge species.

Sponges are animals of the phylum Porifera; sessile aquatic animals without true tissues.[5]

Class Calcarea (calcareous sponges) edit

Order Clathrinida edit

Family Clathrinidae edit

 
Clathrina contorta growing on Spirastrella cunctatrix
 
Guancha lacunosa

Order Leucosolenida edit

Family Grantiidae edit

Family Leucosoleniidae edit

Family Sycettidae edit

 
Sycon ciliatum

Class Demospongiae (horny sponges) edit

Order Agelasida edit

Family Hymerhabdiidae edit

Order Astrophorida edit

Family Geodiidae edit

 
Pachymatisma johnstonia

Order Axinellida edit

Family Raspailiidae edit

 
Raspailia ramosa

Family Stelligeridae edit

Order Bubarida edit

Family Bubaridae edit

Family Dictyonellidae edit

Order Chondrillida edit

Family Halisarcidae edit

Order Chondrosida edit

Family Chondrillidae edit

Order Dendroceratida (keratose/horny sponges) edit

Family Darwinellidae edit

Order Dictyoceratida (keratose/horny sponges) edit

Family Dysideidae edit

 
Dysidea fragilis

Order Hadromerida edit

Family Clionaidae edit

 
Red boring sponge

Family Hemiasterellidae edit

Family Polymastiidae edit

 
Polymastia boletiformis

Family Suberitidae edit

Family Tethyidae edit

 
Tethya aurantium

Order Halichondrida edit

Family Axinellidae edit

 
Axinella damicornis

Family Halichondriidae edit

 
Closeup view of the breadcrumb sponge

Order Haplosclerida edit

Family Chalinidae edit

Order Poecilosclerida edit

Family Acarnidae edit

Family Coelosphaeridae edit

Family Crellidae edit

Family Desmacellidae edit

Family Esperiopsidae edit

Family Hymedesmiidae edit

 
Hemimycale columella

Family Microcionidae edit

Family Mycalidae edit

Family Myxillidae edit

 
Myxilla incrustans

Order Spirophorida edit

Family Tetillidae edit

Order Tetractinellida edit

Family Ancorinidae edit

Order Verongiida edit

Family Ianthellidae edit

Class Homoscleromorpha edit

Order Homosclerophorida edit

Family Oscarellidae edit

 
Oscarella lobularis

Family Plakinidae edit

References edit

  1. ^ "Sponges of Britain and Ireland".
  2. ^ "Small Scale Study: Classification of freshwater sponges in Ireland". Environmental Protection Agency. 2013.
  3. ^ Ferriss, S. E.; Smith, K. G.; Inskipp, T. P., eds. (2009). "Irish Biodiversity: a taxonomic inventory of fauna" (PDF). National Parks & Wildlife Service.
  4. ^ "Species - Biodiversity Maps". maps.biodiversityireland.ie.
  5. ^ "Irish sea sponges could produce cure for cancer and HIV". Independent.ie.
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