List of sponges of South Africa

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Map of the Southern African coastline showing some of the landmarks referred to in species range statements

The list of sponges of South Africa is a list of species that form a part of the poriferan (Phylum Porifera) fauna of South Africa. Taxonomy follows WoRMS. The list follows the SANBI listing on iNaturalist, and does not always agree with WoRMS for distribution.

Sponges or sea sponges are primarily marine invertebrates of the metazoan phylum Porifera (/pəˈrɪfərəˌ pɔː-/ pər-IF-ər-ə, por-; meaning 'pore bearer'), a basal animal clade and a sister taxon of the diploblasts. They are sessile filter feeders that are bound to the seabed, and are one of the most ancient members of macrobenthos, with many historical species being important reef-building organisms.

Sponges are multicellular organisms consisting of jelly-like mesohyl sandwiched between two thin layers of cells, and usually have tube-like bodies full of pores and channels that allow water to circulate through them. They have unspecialized cells that can transform into other types and that often migrate between the main cell layers and the mesohyl in the process. They do not have complex nervous, digestive or circulatory systems. Instead, most rely on maintaining a constant water flow through their bodies to obtain food and oxygen and to remove wastes, usually via flagella movements of the so-called "collar cells".

Sponges are believed to have been the first outgroup to branch off the evolutionary tree from the last common ancestor of all animals, with fossil evidence of primitive sponges such as Otavia from as early as the Tonian period (around 800 Mya). The branch of zoology that studies sponges is spongiology. (Full article...)

Subclass Calcaronea

Order Leucosolenida

Family Grantiidae
Family Amphoriscidae
Family Heteropiidae
Family Leucosoleniidae
Family Sycettidae

Subclass Calcinea

Order Clathrinida

Family Clathrinidae
  • Ascaltis gardineri (Dendy, 1913), syn. Clathrina gardineri (Dendy, 1913),Leucosolenia gardineri Dendy, 1913, Leucosolenia gardineri var. vergensis Kumar, 1924.[22][23]
  • Ernsta cordata (Haeckel, 1872), syn. Ascandra cordata Haeckel, 1872, Clathrina cordata (Haeckel, 1872), Leucosolenia cordata (Haeckel, 1872).[24][25]
Family Leucettidae

Class Demospongiae

Subclass Heteroscleromorpha

Order Agelasida

Family Agelasidae

Order Axinellida

Family Axinellidae
Family Stelligeridae
Family Raspailiidae

Subfamily Raspailiinae

Subfamily Cyamoninae

  • Waltherarndtia caliculatum (Kirkpatrick, 1903), syn. Hymeniacidon caliculatum var. osculatum Kirkpatrick, 1903, Hymeniacidon caliculatum Kirkpatrick, 1903.[36]

Order Biemnida

Family Biemnidae

Order Bubarida

Family Desmanthidae

Order Clionaida

Family Clionaidae
Family Placospongiidae

Order Haplosclerida

Family Callyspongiidae
  • Callyspongia confoederata (sensu Ridley, 1884), syn.Spinosella confoederata (Ridley, 1884), Tuba confoederata sensu Ridley, 1884. Spiky tube sponge[28]
  • Callyspongia hospitalis (Stephens, 1915), syn. Pachychalina hospitalis Stephens, 1915.[52]
  • Callyspongia (Callyspongia) tubulosa (Esper, 1797), syn. Spongia tubulosa sensu Esper, 1797, Siphonochalina tubulosa (Esper, 1797), Phylosiphonia (Anatoxius) tenuispina Lendenfeld, 1887, Phylosiphonia (Anatoxius) pumila Lendenfeld, 1887, Callyspongia tubulosa sensu (Esper, 1797).[53]
Family Chalinidae
Family Petrosiidae
Family Phloeodictyidae

Order Merliida

Family Hamacanthidae

Order Poecilosclerida

Family Acarnidae
Family Chondropsidae
Family Cladorhizidae
Family Coelosphaeridae
Family Crambeidae
Family Crellidae
Family Dendoricellidae
  • Fibulia ramosa (Ridley & Dendy, 1886), syn. Desmacidon ramosa Ridley & Dendy, 1886, Isodictya ramosa (Ridley & Dendy, 1886), Plumocolumella ramosa (Ridley & Dendy, 1886).[90] columnar sponge [55]: 45 
Family Esperiopsidae
Family Guitarridae
Family Hymedesmiidae
Family Iotrochotidae
  • Iotrochota purpurea (Bowerbank, 1875), syn, Spongia foveolaria Lamarck, 1814, Halichondria purpurea Bowerbank, 1875, Chondrocladia sessilis Kieschnick, 1900, Chondrocladia ramosa Kieschnick, 1900, Chondrocladia dura Kieschnick, 1900.[103]
Family Isodictyidae
Family Latrunculiidae
Family Microcionidae

Subfamily Microcioninae

Subfamily Ophlitaspongiinae

Subfamily Ophlitaspongiinae

Family Mycalidae
Family Myxillidae
Family Podospongiidae
Family Tedaniidae

Order Polymastiida

Family Polymastiidae

Order Spongillida

Family Spongillidae

Order Suberitida

Family Halichondriidae
Family Suberitidae

Order Tethyida

Hemiasterellidae
Tethyidae

Order Tetractinellida

Suborder Astrophorina

Family Ancorinidae
Family Geodiidae

Subfamily Erylinae

Subfamily Geodiinae

Family Macandrewiidae
Family Pachastrellidae
Family Vulcanellidae
  • Poecillastra compressa (Bowerbank, 1866), syn. Ecionemia compressa Bowerbank, 1866, Hymeniacidon placentula Bowerbank, 1874, Normania crassa Bowerbank, 1874, Pachastrella compressa (Bowerbank, 1866), Pachastrella stylifera Lendenfeld, 1897, Pachastrella tenuipilosa Lendenfeld, 1907, Poecillastra scabra (Schmidt, 1868), Stelletta scabra Schmidt, 1868.[271]
  • Poecillastra tenuirhabda (Lendenfeld, 1907), syn.Chelotropaena tenuirhabda Lendenfeld, 1907.[272]
  • Poecillastra tuberosa (Lévi, 1964), syn. Characella tuberosa Lévi, 1964.[273]

Suborder Spirophorina

Family Scleritodermidae
Family Siphonidiidae
Family Tetillidae
Family Theonellidae
Family Thoosidae

Order Trachycladida

Family Trachycladidae
  • Trachycladus spinispirulifer (Carter, 1879), syn, Spirastrella dilatata Kieschnick, 1896, Spirastrella spinispirulifera (Carter, 1879), Suberites spinispirulifer Carter, 1879.[287] Orange wall sponge, Encrusting solid sponge[55]: 63 

Subclass Keratosa

Order Dendroceratida

Family Darwinellidae

Order Dictyoceratida

Family Dysideidae
Family Irciniidae
  • Ircinia aruensis (Hentschel, 1912), syn. Hippospongia aruensis (Hentschel, 1912), Hircinia aruensis Hentschel, 1912.[291][note 1]
  • Ircinia ramosa (Keller, 1889), syn. Hircinia ramosa Keller, 1889, Hippospongia frondosa Hentschel, 1912.[292]
  • Psammocinia arenosa (Lendenfeld, 1888), syn. Hircinia arenosa Lendenfeld, 1888.[293]
  • Sarcotragus australis (Lendenfeld, 1888), syn. Ircinia arbuscula (Lendenfeld, 1889), Hircinia australis Lendenfeld, 1888, Hircinia arbuscula Lendenfeld, 1889.[294] Black stink sponge[28]
Family Spongiidae
Family Thorectidae

Subfamily Thorectinae

Subclass Verongimorpha

Order Chondrillida

Family Chondrillidae
  • Chondrilla australiensis Carter, 1873, syn. Chondrillastra australiensis (Carter, 1873), Chondrilla ternatensis Thiele, 1900, Chondrilla papillata Lendenfeld, 1885, Chondrilla globulifera Keller, 1891, Chondrilla corticata Lendenfeld, 1885, Chondrilla australiensis var. lobata Dendy, 1905.[296]

Order Verongiida

Family Aplysinellidae
Family Aplysinidae
Family Ianthellidae

Class Hexactinellida

Notes

References

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