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.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_sponges_of_Ireland&oldid=1120158935"