List of sponges of Venezuela

The sponges of Venezuela are a part of the Porifera fauna of Venezuela (which is part of the wildlife of Venezuela).

A number of species of sponges are found in the wild in Venezuela.

This is a partial list of the marine and freshwater sponges of Venezuela. The families are listed alphabetically within the classes.

Marine sponges
Family Acarnidae


 * Acarnus

Family Adociidae
 * Sigmadocia caerulea Hechtel 1965

Family Aplysinidae
 * Aplysina archeri (Higgin, 1875)
 * Aplysina caissara Pinheiro & Hajdu, 2001
 * Aplysina cauliformis (Carter, 1882)
 * Aplysina fistularis (Pallas, 1766)
 * Aplysina fulva (Pallas, 1766)
 * Aplysina lacunosa (Lamarck, 1814)

Family Callyspongiidae
 * Callyspongia arcesiosa Laubenfels, 1936
 * Callyspongia vaginalis (Lamarck, 1814)

Family Chalinidae Family Chondrillidae
 * Chalinula molitba  (Laubenfels, 1949)
 * Chondrilla caribensis Rützler, Duran & Piantoni, 2007
 * Chondrilla nucula Smithdt 1862

Family Clionidae
 * Cliona raphida Boury-Esnault, 1973
 * Cliona varians (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)

Family Coelosphaeridae
 * Lissodendoryx

Family Crambeidae Family Darwinellidae
 * Monanchora arbuscula (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)
 * Aplysilla glacialis (Merejkowski, 1878)
 * Chelonaplysilla erecta Tsurnamal, 1967
 * Darwinella rosacea Hechtel, 1965

Family Desmacididae
 * Desmapsamma anchorata (Carter, 1882)

Family Desmacidonidae
 * Liosina monticulosa (Verrill, 1907)

Family Dysidea
 * Dysidea etheria Laubenfels, 1936

Family Dictyonellidae
 * Scopalina ruetzleri (Wiedenmayer, 1977)

Family Dysideidae
 * Dysidea etheria Laubenfels, 1936

Family Geodiidae
 * Geodia gibberosa Lamarck, 1815
 * Geodia papyracea Hechtel, 1965

Family Grantiidae
 * Leucandra aspera (Schmidt, 1862)

Family Halichondriidae
 * Anthosigmella varians (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)
 * Halichondria magniculosa Hechtel
 * Halichondria melanadocia Laubenfels, 1936
 * Topsentia ophiraphidites (Laubenfels, 1934)

Family Halicloniidae
 * Haliclona caerulea (Hechtel, 1965)
 * Haliclona crassiloba Laubenfels, 1950
 * Haliclona curacaoensis (van Soest, 1980)
 * Haliclona doria Laubenfels, 1936
 * Haliclona implexiformis (Hechtel, 1965)
 * Haliclona magnifica de Weerdt, Rützler & Smith, 1991
 * Haliclona manglaris Alcolado, 1984
 * Haliclona permollis (Bowerbank, 1866)
 * Haliclona picadaerensis
 * Haliclona tubifera (George & Wilson, 1919)
 * Haliclona twincayensis de Weerdt, Rützler & Smith, 1991
 * Haliclona viridis (Keller, 1889)
 * Niphastes variabilis Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864

Family Halisarcidae
 * Halisarca

Family Heteroxyidae
 * Myrmekioderma rea (de Laubenfels, 1934)

Family Hymedesmiidae
 * Phorbas amaranthus Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864

Family Iotrochotidae
 * Iotrochota birotulata (Higgin, 1877)

Family Irciniidae
 * Irsinia fasciculata (Pallas, 1766)
 * Ircinia felix (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)
 * Irsinia strobilina (Lamarck, 1816)

Family Microcionidae
 * Artemisina melana van Soest, 1984
 * Clathria ferrea (de Laubenfels, 1936)
 * Clathria venosa Hooper, 1996
 * Clathria microchela (Stephens, 1916)
 * Clathria schoenus (Laubenfels, 1936)
 * Clathria venosa (Alcolado, 1984)
 * Microciona
 * Pandaros acanthifolium Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864

Family Mycalidae
 * Ulosa hispida Hechtel, 1965
 * Mycale americana van Soest, 1984
 * Mycale angulosa (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)
 * Mycale carmigropila Hajdu & Rützler, 1998
 * Mycale citrina Hajdu & Rützler, 1998
 * Mycale laxissima (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)
 * Mycale magnirhaphidifera van Soest, 1984
 * Mycale microsigmatosa Arndt, 1927

Family Niphatidae
 * Amphimedon compressa Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864
 * Amphimedon viridis Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864
 * Gelliodes ramosa Kieschnick, 1898
 * Neopetrosia subtriangularis (Duchassaing, 1850)
 * Niphates erecta Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864

Family Ophlitaspongiidae
 * Biemna caribea Pulitzer-Finali, 1986
 * Biemna microstyla Laubenfels, 1950
 * Desmacella jania Verrill, 1907
 * Desmacella meliorata Wiedenmayer, 1977

Family Petrosiidae
 * Neopetrosia subtriangularis (Duchassaing, 1850)

Family Phloeodictyidae
 * Oceanapia nodosa  (George & Wilson, 1919)

Family Placospongiidae
 * Placospongia intermedia Sollas, 1888

Family Spirastrellidae
 * Desmacella jania

Family Spongiidae
 * Spongia pertusa Hyatt, 1877
 * Spongia officinalis Linnaeus, 1759
 * Spongia tubulifera Lamarck, 1814
 * Spongia zimocca Schmidt, 1862

Family Suberitidae
 * Prosuberites laughlini (Díaz, Álvarez & van Soest, 1987)
 * Suberites aurantiacus  (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)
 * Terpios fugax Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864
 * Terpios zeteki Laubenfels 1936
 * Terpios manglaris Rützler & Smith, 1993

Family Sycettidae
 * Sycon

Family Tethyidae
 * Tethya actinia de Laubenfels, 1950
 * Tethya seychellensis (Wright, 1881)

Family Tedaniide
 * Tedania ignis (Duchassaing & Michelotti 1864)
 * Lissodendoryx isodictyalis (Carter, 1882)

Family Tetillidae
 * Cinachyrella apion (Uliczka, 1929)
 * Cinachyrella kuekenthali (Uliczka, 1929)
 * Cinachyrella tarentina (Pulitzer-Finali, 1983)

Family Thorectidae
 * Hyrtios proteus Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864
 * Hyrtios violaceus (Duchassaing & Michelotti 1864)

Freshwater sponges
Family Metaniidae
 * Acalle recurvata (Bowerbank, 1863)
 * Drulia browni (Bowerbank, 1863)
 * Drulia conifera Boneto & Ezcurra de Drago, 1973
 * Drulia cristata (Weltner, 1895)
 * Drulia uruguayensis Boneto & Ezcurra de Drago, 1968
 * Metania reticulata (Bowerbank, 1863)

Family Potamolepidae
 * Onosclera intermedia (Boneto & Ezcurra de Drago, 1973)
 * Onosclera navicella (Carter, 1881)
 * Onosclera spinifera (Boneto & Ezcurra de Drago, 1973)
 * Uruguaya corallioides (Bowerbank, 1863)

Family Spongillidae
 * Corvoheteromeyenia heterosclera (Ezcurra de drago, 1974)
 * Saturnospongilla carvalhoi Volkmer-Rivero, 1976
 * Spongilla alba Carter, 1849
 * Pottsiela spoliata Volkmer-Rivero & Maciel, 1983
 * Trochospongilla gregaria (Bowerbank, 1863)
 * Trochospongilla minuta (Postt, 1887)
 * Trochospongilla paulula (Bowerbank, 1863)

Other references

 * Álvarez, A. I. 1989. Establecimiento, desarrollo y mantenimiento de una comunidad epibentónica tropical. [Settlement, Development and Maintenance of a Tropical Epibenthic Community.] Licenciate’s Thesis, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela.
 * Diaz, M. C., S. Pauls, E. Villamizar, A. Alvizu, M. E. Amaro, M. Cellamare, S. Grune, I. Hernández, S. Narciso, A. Pérez, J. Pérez, I. Ramírez, R. Ramos, M. P. Romero, and P. Young. 2003. Porifera Biodiversity in Nueva Esparta, Venezuela: Common Species from La Restinga and Cabugua Island. Abstract. The Twin Cays Mangrove Ecosystem, Belize: Biodiversity, Geological History, and Two Decades of Change. Report from a Workshop, Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, Florida, December 2003. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution.
 * Pauls, S. 1998. Estudio Sistemático y Biodiversidad de Porifera y Cnidaria en la Bahía de la P. N. Henri Pittier. [Systematic and Diversity Study of Porifera and Cnidaria of the Ciénaga de Ocumare de la Costa Bay, Henri Pittier National Park.] Caracas: Escuela de Biología, Universidad Central de Venezuela.
 * Pauls, S. 2003. “Esponjas.” In Biodiversidad en Venezuela. [“Sponges.”In Biodiversity of Venezuela.], ed. M. Aguilera, A. Azocar, and E. Gonzales, pp. 210– 219. Caracas, Venezuela: Polar Foundation and Ministry of Science and Technology.
 * Pérez, A. 2007. Biodiversidad y Estructura Comunitaria de Poriferos Asociados a Raíces del Manglar, Rhizophora mangle, en el P. N. Laguna de La Restinga, Nueva Esparta, Venezuela. [Biodiversity and Community Structure of Porifers Associated to Mangrove Roots, Rizophora mangle, in Laguna de La Restinga National Park, Nueva Esparta, Venezuela.] Licenciate’s Thesis, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela.
 * Ramírez, I. 2002. Taxonomía de Esponjas (Porifera: Demospongiae) de la Laguna de Bocaripo, Estado Sucre, e Islote Caribe, Dependencia Federal, Venezuela. [Taxonomy of the Sponges (Porifera: Demospongiae) of Bocaripo Lagoon, Estado Sucre, and Caribe Island, Dependencia Federal, Venezuela.] Licenciate’s Thesis, Universidad de Oriente, Cumaná.

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