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]
Class Calcarea (calcareous sponges)
Order Clathrinida
Family Clathrinidae
- Clathrina contorta (Ascandra contorta)
- Clathrina coriacea (Ascandra coriacea)
- Guancha lacunosa
Order Leucosolenida
Family Grantiidae
- Grantia compressa (purse sponge)
- Leucandra fistulosa
- Leucandra gossei
- Leuconia johnstoni
- Leuconia nivea
Family Leucosoleniidae
- Leucosolenia botryoides
- Leucosolenia complicata
- Leucosolenia variabilis
Family Sycettidae
Class Demospongiae (horny sponges)
Order Agelasida
Family Hymerhabdiidae
- Hymerhabdia typica
Order Astrophorida
Family Geodiidae
Order Axinellida
Family Raspailiidae
- Eurypon viride
- Eurypon clavatum
- Eurypon major
- Hymeraphia breeni
- Hymeraphia elongata
- Hymeraphia stellifera
- Hymeraphia verticillata
- Raspaciona aculeata
- Raspailia hispida
- Raspailia ramosa
Family Stelligeridae
- Halicnemia patera
- Stelligera rigida
- Stelligera stuposa
Order Bubarida
Family Bubaridae
- Bubaris vermiculata
Family Dictyonellidae
- Dictyonella incisa
- Spongionella pulchella
- Tethyspira spinosa
Order Chondrillida
Family Halisarcidae
- Halisarca dujardini
Order Chondrosida
Family Chondrillidae
- Thymosia guernei
Order Dendroceratida (keratose/horny sponges)
Family Darwinellidae
- Aplysilla rosea
- Aplysilla sulfurea
Order Dictyoceratida (keratose/horny sponges)
Family Dysideidae
- Dysidea fragilis
- Dysidea pallescens
Order Hadromerida
Family Clionaidae
- Cliona celata (red boring sponge)
- Cliona lobata
Family Hemiasterellidae
- Paratimea constellata
Family Polymastiidae
- Polymastia agglutinans
- Polymastia boletiformis (yellow tit-sponge)
- Polymastia mamillaris
- Polymastia penicillus
- Polymastia spinula
- Quasillina brevis
- Sphaerotylus grey (B)
- Sphaerotylus spa
Family Suberitidae
- Terpios fugax
- Laxosuberites
- Protosuberites epiphytum
- Protosuberites incrustans
- Pseudosuberites sulphureus
- Suberites carnosus
- Suberites ficus
- Suberites pagurorum
Family Tethyidae
- Tethya aurantium (golf ball sponge, orange puffball sponge)
- Tethya citrina
- Tethya hibernica
- Tethya norvegica
Order Halichondrida
Family Axinellidae
- Axinella damicornis
- Axinella dissimilis
- Axinella flustra
- Axinella infundibuliformis
- Axinella parva
- Axinella pyramidata
- Axinella rugosa
- Phakellia ventilabrum (chalice sponge)
Family Halichondriidae
- Halichondria bowerbanki (Bowerbank's halichondria)
- Halichondria panicea (breadcrumb sponge)
- Hymeniacidon kitchingi
- Hymeniacidon perlevis (crumb-of-bread sponge)
- Spongosorites calcicola
Order Haplosclerida
Family Chalinidae
- Chalinula limbata
- Haliclona cinerea
- Haliclona fistulosa
- Haliclona oculata (mermaid's glove)
- Haliclona simulans
- Haliclona urceolus
- Haliclona viscosa
Order Poecilosclerida
Family Acarnidae
- Iophon hyndmani
- Iophon nigricans
Family Coelosphaeridae
- Lissodendoryx jenjonesae
Family Crellidae
- Crella plana
- Crella rosea
Family Desmacellidae
- Biemna variantia
- Desmacella annexa
Family Esperiopsidae
- Amphilectus fucorum
- Amphilectus lobatus
- Esperiopsis
- Ulosa stuposa
Family Hymedesmiidae
- 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
- 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 Mycalidae
- Mycale contarenii
- Mycale lingua
- Mycale macilenta
- Mycale minima
- Mycale rotalis
- Mycale subclavata
Family Myxillidae
- Myxilla ancorata
- Myxilla fimbriata
- Myxilla incrustans
- Myxilla rosacea
Order Spirophorida
Family Tetillidae
- Craniella cranium
- Craniella zetlandica
Order Tetractinellida
Family Ancorinidae
- Dercitus bucklandi
- Stryphnus ponderosus
- Stelletta grubii
Order Verongiida
Family Ianthellidae
- Hexadella racovitzai
Class Homoscleromorpha
Order Homosclerophorida
Family Oscarellidae
- Oscarella lobularis
- Oscarella rubra
Family Plakinidae
- Plakortis simplex
References
- ^ "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.