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FAQs on Sponge Identification
16
Related Articles: Sponges in Marine
Aquariums
Related FAQs: Sponge ID
1, Sponge ID 2, Sponge ID 3, Sponge ID 4, Sponge
ID 5, Sponge ID 6, Sponge ID 7, Sponge ID
8, Sponge ID 9, Sponge ID 10, Sponge ID 10, Sponge ID 11, Sponge ID 12, Sponge ID 13, Sponge ID 14, Sponge ID 15, Sponge ID 17, Sponge ID 18,
Sponge ID 19, Sponge
ID 20, Sponge ID 21, & Sponges 1, Sponges
2, Sponges 3, Sponge Selection, Sponge Compatibility, Sponge Systems, Sponge Feeding, Sponge Disease, Sponge Reproduction,
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Assistance please in identification
11/30/10
Hello from Australia and congrats on a great web site and an
inspiring source of information.
<Howdy and thank you>
I require some assistance please in identifying a stringy yellow/
cream coating at the very base of my live rock. I have attached a
photo.
<I see this>
It is only in this one small spot (hard to get to because of some
overhanging rock) and does not appear noxious or particularly
irritating to nearby corals. Nonetheless it would be good to
identify as friend or foe!
<Almost assuredly this is a sponge/Poriferan. Friend>
I have also attached a photo of my baby sea urchin. I found him
during tank cleaning about a month ago - at that time he/she was
about half the size than in this photo. Mum (and I now assume
Dad) are happy
eating Nori as well as commercial brands of red and brown sea
weed that I tie to rocks and sink. They are very peaceful
additions to the tank and have given me at least one offspring -
quite possibly more.
Cute eh?
<Ah yes>
Are you able to provide any information on how/when they
breed?
<Are separate sexes... as all Echinoderms... have a pelagic
phase...>
I assume they are egg layers with the male fertilizing the
eggs?
<Yes>
I have not witnessed anything close to urchin "action"
in the tank!
<This individual was part of your "live rock" or
other hard material introduced into the system... Not sexually
derived here>
Thanks for your help and keep up the good work.
Kelly
<Welcome! Bob Fenner>
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Re: Assistance please in
identification 12/1/10
Thanks for the reply. Can I please ask if you think it could be
possible my sea urchin is the product of my two adults?
<Highly unlikely... read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/urchinreprofaqs.htm
The reason I ask is I have not introduced any new live rock or
coral to my tank in over 6 months and this little guy has doubled
in size in the last 1 month so I am guessing is not >6 months
old.
<Mmm, could be... growing much slower previously>
Also it is exactly the same species as my two adults and with all
the different types of urchins in pet stores over here it would
seem coincidental to have a hitch hiker of the same breed. I did
find a PhD student in Western Australia that was breeding them for
his studies - although I was unsure of the type - so I assumed they
bred readily in captivity?
<Can be induced to release gametes, IF brought into reproductive
fitness, ripeness... but the pelagic larval stage is very hard to
support in typical hobby settings. Requires specialized
recirculation, a dearth of mechanical disruption
(filtration)...>
Thankful for your reply and certainly not trying to argue the
point
<No worries. Am glad to discuss any/all point/s. Perhaps this is
an in situ reproductive event... BobF>
Cheers.
Kelly Neill |
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Unusual growth 11/22/10
Hi gang,
I found your site about 2 months ago, and boy do I wish I had
heard about it 2 years ago when I first started into saltwater
aquaria..
<I as well>
I recently had the "worst nightmare" of a leaking tank
(72g) late on a Friday night, and managed to save everything to
put into a new tank and at the same time install a new Aqueon
Proflex2 sump in place of the Fluval 305 filter. After getting
everything back (no new additions) I found this strange white
creature growing under an overhang on the live rock. At first I
thought it might be some kind of Bryozoan but have my doubts.
Could you give it a shot at identification
<Though branched at the tips, due to colour and position, I
suspect this is a sponge/Poriferan. Not problematical>
Tank is a 55g mixed fish (2 Clowns, Mandarin Dragonet, Imperial
Angel,
<... this fish is misplaced here... Needs a much larger
volume>
Lattice Butterfly, Tomini Tang, Coal Beauty, 4 Damsels and a Long
Nose Hawkfish ),
<All need more room>
Soft Coral ( 2 leather corals, 3 Soft Tree corals and 2 Bubble
Tip Anemones) Running 2 Protein skimmers ( CPR Backpack 2 in the
sump) and Sea Clone 150 HOB (Is there such a thing as
overskimming??)
<Not really>
Thanks
Graham Featherstone
<The bigger world. Now. Bob Fenner>
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Re: Unusual growth
11/23/10
Hi Bob,
<Graham>
Many thanks for your info, yes I agree the tank is too small at
the moment, however panic mode set in and the 55g was all I could
get hold of at 8:00pm on a Friday evening. Plan is to get a 120g
shortly, an even bigger tank would mean moving the system
downstairs (or moving house, whichever ends up cheaper).
<?!>
I have a very good LFS here in Abbotsford, B.C. who is always
willing to trade if the fish get too big.
<Good; though "it's" almost always too late to
"tell">
I will keep an eye on the sponge/Poriferan and see if it changes
at all and let you know.
Graham
<Thank you. BobF>
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ID please 11/12/10
Hello, hope all is well with you and yours.
<Hi, thank you>
I need an ID if possible. These growths just starting popping up
from the GSP mat. They are on two separate colonies and the
colonies are separated, one one one side of the tank and the
other on the opposite side. Here is a pic or so. Any help is
appreciated.
Leon
<Ahh! The one pic sort of looked like some sort of Soft
Coral/Alcyoniid, but the second shows definitively that these are
boring (as in mining, burrowing) sponges. There are quite a few
of these... w/ Ascidians making up about half the biomass of what
folks call live rock. Hopefully the two organisms will co-exist,
making for an interesting display, discussion point. Bob
Fenner>
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Re: ID please 11/13/10
Thank you very much Bob, I truly do appreciate it!
<Welcome Leon, BobF> |
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