List of sponges of Ireland

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.

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 growing on Spirastrella cunctatrix

Guancha lacunosa

• 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

Sycon ciliatum

• Sycon ciliatum
• Sycon elegans

Class Demospongiae (horny sponges)

Order Agelasida

Family Hymerhabdiidae

• Hymerhabdia typica

Order Astrophorida

Family Geodiidae

Pachymatisma johnstonia

• Pachymatisma johnstonia

Order Axinellida

Family Raspailiidae

Raspailia ramosa

• 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 fragilis
• Dysidea pallescens

Order Hadromerida

Family Clionaidae

Red boring sponge

• Cliona celata (red boring sponge)
• Cliona lobata

Family Hemiasterellidae

• Paratimea constellata

Family Polymastiidae

Polymastia boletiformis

• 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

• Tethya aurantium (golf ball sponge, orange puffball sponge)
• Tethya citrina
• Tethya hibernica
• Tethya norvegica

Order Halichondrida

Family Axinellidae

Axinella damicornis

• Axinella damicornis
• Axinella dissimilis
• Axinella flustra
• Axinella infundibuliformis
• Axinella parva
• Axinella pyramidata
• Axinella rugosa
• Phakellia ventilabrum (chalice sponge)

Family Halichondriidae

Closeup view of the breadcrumb sponge

• 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

• 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 incrustans

• 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 lobularis
• Oscarella rubra

Family Plakinidae

• Plakortis simplex

References

1. "Sponges of Britain and Ireland".
2. https://www.epa.ie/pubs/reports/research/sss/Classification%20of%20freshwater%20sponges.pdf
3. https://www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/IWM38.pdf
4. http://maps.biodiversityireland.ie/SpeciesGroup/39/Species?FullDictionary=false&UseCommonNames=false
5. "Irish sea sponges could produce cure for cancer and HIV - Independent.ie".