Leucetta chagoensis

Dendy, 1913

Encrusting Yellow Sponge

Range: Western Pacific Ocean

Natural Environment: Inhabits shaded cave walls, and other shaded vertical areas where currents are strong.

Aquarium Suitability: Not collected for the home aquarium trade.

Best left in the wild.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Porifera

Class: Calcarea

Subclass: Calcinea

Order: Clathrinida

Family: Leucetta

Genus: Ircinia

FYI: Shown here for identification only.

These are sponges having skeletons composed of three or four rayed calcareous spicules, which consist of calcium carbonate in the form of calcite.

The Nudibranch 'Notodoris serenae' feeds upon this sponge.

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!