Ianthella flabelliformis

(Pallas, 1766)

Giant Sponge

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean

Natural Environment: Inhabits reef slope areas where current is swift

Aquarium Suitability: Not collected for the home aquarium trade.

Best left in the wild.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Porifera

Class: Demospongiae

Subclass: Verongimorpha

Order: Verongiida

Family: Ianthellidae

Genus: Ianthella

FYI: Shown here for identification only.

Sponges posses no nervous, digestive or excretory systems, and feed by filtering suspended bacteria and fine detritus. Strong water movement is vital to almost all, not only for carrying food to these sessile creatures but also to carry waste/unused matter away. In fact, a sponge the size of a baseball can filter about fifty gallons of water per hour!