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]
![](../I/Global_diversity_of_the_Porifera.png.webp)
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)
Family Clathrinidae
![](../I/Clathrina_coriacea_(Montagu%252C_1818)_sur_Spirastrella_cunctatrix_Schmidt%252C_1868.jpg.webp)
Clathrina contorta growing on Spirastrella cunctatrix
- Clathrina contorta (Ascandra contorta)
- Clathrina coriacea (Ascandra coriacea)
- Guancha lacunosa
Family Grantiidae
- Grantia compressa (purse sponge)
- Leucandra fistulosa
- Leucandra gossei
- Leuconia johnstoni
- Leuconia nivea
Family Leucosoleniidae
- Leucosolenia botryoides
- Leucosolenia complicata
- Leucosolenia variabilis
Class Demospongiae (horny sponges)
Family Hymerhabdiidae
- Hymerhabdia typica
Family Raspailiidae
![](../I/Raspailia_ramosa_-_Carantec.jpg.webp)
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
Family Bubaridae
- Bubaris vermiculata
Family Dictyonellidae
- Dictyonella incisa
- Spongionella pulchella
- Tethyspira spinosa
Family Halisarcidae
- Halisarca dujardini
Family Chondrillidae
- Thymosia guernei
Family Darwinellidae
- Aplysilla rosea
- Aplysilla sulfurea
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
Family Axinellidae
![](../I/Axinella_damicornis.jpg.webp)
Axinella damicornis
- Axinella damicornis
- Axinella dissimilis
- Axinella flustra
- Axinella infundibuliformis
- Axinella parva
- Axinella pyramidata
- Axinella rugosa
- Phakellia ventilabrum (chalice sponge)
Family Halichondriidae
![](../I/Halichondria_panicea.jpg.webp)
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
Family Chalinidae
- Chalinula limbata
- Haliclona cinerea
- Haliclona fistulosa
- Haliclona oculata (mermaid's glove)
- Haliclona simulans
- Haliclona urceolus
- Haliclona viscosa
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
Family Tetillidae
- Craniella cranium
- Craniella zetlandica
Family Ancorinidae
- Dercitus bucklandi
- Stryphnus ponderosus
- Stelletta grubii
Family Ianthellidae
- Hexadella racovitzai
Class Homoscleromorpha
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.
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