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]
Sponges are animals of the phylum Porifera; sessile aquatic animals without true tissues.[5]
Order Clathrinida
[edit]Family Clathrinidae
[edit]
- Clathrina contorta (Ascandra contorta)
- Clathrina coriacea (Ascandra coriacea)
- Guancha lacunosa
Order Leucosolenida
[edit]Family Grantiidae
[edit]- Grantia compressa (purse sponge)
- Leucandra fistulosa
- Leucandra gossei
- Leuconia johnstoni
- Leuconia nivea
Family Leucosoleniidae
[edit]Family Sycettidae
[edit]
Class Demospongiae (horny sponges)
[edit]Family Hymerhabdiidae
[edit]Order Astrophorida
[edit]
Order Axinellida
[edit]Family Raspailiidae
[edit]
- Eurypon viride
- Eurypon clavatum
- Eurypon major
- Hymeraphia breeni
- Hymeraphia elongata
- Hymeraphia stellifera
- Hymeraphia verticillata
- Raspaciona aculeata
- Raspailia hispida
- Raspailia ramosa
Family Stelligeridae
[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]
Order Hadromerida
[edit]Family Clionaidae
[edit]
- Cliona celata (red boring sponge)
- Cliona lobata
Family Hemiasterellidae
[edit]Family Polymastiidae
[edit]
- Polymastia agglutinans
- Polymastia boletiformis (yellow tit-sponge)
- Polymastia mamillaris
- Polymastia penicillus
- Polymastia spinula
- Quasillina brevis
- Sphaerotylus grey (B)
- Sphaerotylus spa
Family Suberitidae
[edit]- Terpios fugax
- Laxosuberites
- Protosuberites epiphytum
- Protosuberites incrustans
- Pseudosuberites sulphureus
- Suberites carnosus
- Suberites ficus
- Suberites pagurorum
- Tethya aurantium (golf ball sponge, orange puffball sponge)
- Tethya citrina
- Tethya hibernica
- Tethya norvegica
Order Halichondrida
[edit]Family Axinellidae
[edit]
- Axinella damicornis
- Axinella dissimilis
- Axinella flustra
- Axinella infundibuliformis
- Axinella parva
- Axinella pyramidata
- Axinella rugosa
- Phakellia ventilabrum (chalice sponge)
Family Halichondriidae
[edit]
- Halichondria bowerbanki (Bowerbank's halichondria)
- Halichondria panicea (breadcrumb sponge)
- Hymeniacidon kitchingi
- Hymeniacidon perlevis (crumb-of-bread sponge)
- Spongosorites calcicola
Order Haplosclerida
[edit]Family Chalinidae
[edit]- Chalinula limbata
- Haliclona cinerea
- Haliclona fistulosa
- Haliclona oculata (mermaid's glove)
- Haliclona simulans
- Haliclona urceolus
- Haliclona viscosa
Order Poecilosclerida
[edit]Family Coelosphaeridae
[edit]Family Desmacellidae
[edit]Family Esperiopsidae
[edit]Family Hymedesmiidae
[edit]
- Hemimycale columella
- Hymedesmia cohesibacilla
- Hymedesmia coriacea
- Hymedesmia crami
- Hymedesmia cratera
- Hymedesmia hibernica
- Hymedesmia jecusculum
- Hymedesmia pansa
- Hymedesmia paupertas
- Hymedesmia peachi
- Hymedesmia primitiva
- Hymedesmia rathlinia
- Hymedesmia umbelliformis
- Phorbas fictitius
- Phorbas plumosus
- Phorbas punctatus
- Plocamiancora arndti
- Plocamionida ambigua
- Plocamionida tylotata
- Spanioplon armaturum
- Stylostichon
Family Microcionidae
[edit]- Antho brattegardi
- Antho coriacea
- Antho granditoxa
- Antho inconstans
- Antho involvens
- Clathria armata
- Clathria atrasanguinea
- Clathria barleei
- Clathria elliptichela
- Clathria fallax
- Clathria laevis
- Clathria spinarcus
- Clathria strepsitoxa
- Ophlitaspongia papilla
Family Myxillidae
[edit]
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]
Family Plakinidae
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Sponges of Britain and Ireland".
- ^ "Small Scale Study: Classification of freshwater sponges in Ireland". Environmental Protection Agency. 2013.
- ^ Ferriss, S. E.; Smith, K. G.; Inskipp, T. P., eds. (2009). "Irish Biodiversity: a taxonomic inventory of fauna" (PDF). National Parks & Wildlife Service.
- ^ "Species - Biodiversity Maps". maps.biodiversityireland.ie.
- ^ "Irish sea sponges could produce cure for cancer and HIV". Independent.ie. 5 May 2015.