Wildlife of Venezuela
Part of a series on

Biodiversity Flora and Fauna Trees Wildflowers Ants Odonates Butterflies Moths Spiders Fish Molluscs Amphibians Reptiles Echinoderms Sponges Birds Mammals Endangered species
Conservation Protected areas National parks Important Bird Areas Biosphere reserves Ramsar wetland sites
Organizations World Wide Fund for Nature FUNPZA
Related topics Ecoregions Tourism Botanical gardens Environmental issues
v t e

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.

Statistics

Environment	Nº de Families	Nº de Genres	Nº de Species
Marine species	39	54	100
Freshwater species	3	10	17
Total	42	64	117

Marine sponges

Family Acarnidae

Acarnus^[1]

Family Adociidae

Sigmadocia caerulea Hechtel 1965^[2]

Family Aplysinidae

Aplysina archeri (Higgin, 1875)^[3]^[4]
Aplysina caissara Pinheiro & Hajdu, 2001^[5]
Aplysina cauliformis (Carter, 1882)^[3]
Aplysina fistularis (Pallas, 1766)^[6]^[7]^[8]
Aplysina fulva (Pallas, 1766)^[3]
Aplysina lacunosa (Lamarck, 1814)^[3]^[4]

Family Callyspongiidae

Callyspongia arcesiosa Laubenfels, 1936^[8]
Callyspongia vaginalis (Lamarck, 1814)^[3]^[6]

Family Chalinidae

Chalinula molitba (Laubenfels, 1949)^[8]

Family Chondrillidae

Chondrilla caribensis Rützler, Duran & Piantoni, 2007^[8]
Chondrilla nucula Smithdt 1862^[2]^[6]^[7]

Family Clionidae

Cliona raphida Boury-Esnault, 1973^[2]^[8]
Cliona varians (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)^[7]

Family Coelosphaeridae

Lissodendoryx ^[1]

Family Crambeidae

Monanchora arbuscula (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)^[8]

Family Darwinellidae

Aplysilla glacialis (Merejkowski, 1878)^[8]
Chelonaplysilla erecta Tsurnamal, 1967^[8]
Darwinella rosacea Hechtel, 1965^[8]

Family Desmacididae

Desmapsamma anchorata (Carter, 1882)^[3]^[9]^[8]

Family Desmacidonidae

Liosina monticulosa (Verrill, 1907)^[2]

Family Dysidea

Dysidea etheria Laubenfels, 1936^[8]

Family Dictyonellidae

Scopalina ruetzleri (Wiedenmayer, 1977)^[7]

Family Dysideidae

Dysidea etheria Laubenfels, 1936^[3]

Family Geodiidae

Geodia gibberosa Lamarck, 1815^[2]^[1]^[8]
Geodia papyracea Hechtel, 1965^[8]

Family Grantiidae

Leucandra aspera (Schmidt, 1862)

Family Halichondriidae

Anthosigmella varians (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)^[2]
Halichondria magniculosa Hechtel^[2]
Halichondria melanadocia Laubenfels, 1936^[7]^[1]
Topsentia ophiraphidites (Laubenfels, 1934)^[10]

Family Halicloniidae

Haliclona caerulea (Hechtel, 1965)^[8]
Haliclona crassiloba Laubenfels, 1950^[2]
Haliclona curacaoensis (van Soest, 1980)^[8]
Haliclona doria Laubenfels, 1936^[2]
Haliclona implexiformis (Hechtel, 1965)^[8]
Haliclona magnifica de Weerdt, Rützler & Smith, 1991^[8]
Haliclona manglaris Alcolado, 1984^[8]
Haliclona permollis (Bowerbank, 1866)^[2]
Haliclona picadaerensis^[8]
Haliclona tubifera (George & Wilson, 1919)^[1]^[8]
Haliclona twincayensis de Weerdt, Rützler & Smith, 1991^[8]
Haliclona viridis (Keller, 1889) ^[2]
Niphastes variabilis Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864^[2]

Family Halisarcidae

Halisarca^[8]

Family Heteroxyidae

Myrmekioderma rea (de Laubenfels, 1934)^[10]

Family Hymedesmiidae

Phorbas amaranthus Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864^[5]

Family Iotrochotidae

Iotrochota birotulata (Higgin, 1877)^[3]

Family Irciniidae

Irsinia fasciculata (Pallas, 1766)^[2]^[6]
Ircinia felix (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)^[3]^[7]^[8]
Irsinia strobilina (Lamarck, 1816)^[2]^[3]^[6]^[7]^[8]

Family Microcionidae

Artemisina melana van Soest, 1984^[8]
Clathria ferrea (de Laubenfels, 1936)^[8]
Clathria venosa Hooper, 1996^[1]
Clathria microchela (Stephens, 1916)^[8]
Clathria schoenus (Laubenfels, 1936)^[8]
Clathria venosa (Alcolado, 1984)^[8]
Microciona^[2]
Pandaros acanthifolium Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864^[3]^[1]

Family Mycalidae

Ulosa hispida Hechtel, 1965^[2]
Mycale americana van Soest, 1984^[8]
Mycale angulosa (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)^[8]
Mycale carmigropila Hajdu & Rützler, 1998^[8]
Mycale citrina Hajdu & Rützler, 1998^[8]
Mycale laxissima (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)^[8]
Mycale magnirhaphidifera van Soest, 1984^[8]
Mycale microsigmatosa Arndt, 1927^[3]^[7]^[9]^[1]

Family Niphatidae

Amphimedon compressa Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864^[8]
Amphimedon viridis Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864^[7]
Gelliodes ramosa Kieschnick, 1898^[6]
Neopetrosia subtriangularis (Duchassaing, 1850) ^[6]
Niphates erecta Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864^[1]^[8]

Family Ophlitaspongiidae

Biemna caribea Pulitzer-Finali, 1986^[8]
Biemna microstyla Laubenfels, 1950^[2]
Desmacella jania Verrill, 1907^[2]
Desmacella meliorata Wiedenmayer, 1977^[8]

Family Petrosiidae

Neopetrosia subtriangularis (Duchassaing, 1850)^[8]

Family Phloeodictyidae

Oceanapia nodosa (George & Wilson, 1919)^[8]

Family Placospongiidae

Placospongia intermedia Sollas, 1888^[8]

Family Spirastrellidae

Desmacella jania^[1]

Family Spongiidae

Spongia pertusa Hyatt, 1877^[8]
Spongia officinalis Linnaeus, 1759^[2]
Spongia tubulifera Lamarck, 1814^[8]
Spongia zimocca Schmidt, 1862^[2]

Family Suberitidae

Prosuberites laughlini (Díaz, Álvarez & van Soest, 1987)^[10]^[8]
Suberites aurantiacus (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)^[8]
Terpios fugax Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864^[1]
Terpios zeteki Laubenfels 1936^[2]
Terpios manglaris Rützler & Smith, 1993^[8]

Family Sycettidae

Sycon^[8]

Family Tethyidae

Tethya actinia de Laubenfels, 1950^[8]
Tethya seychellensis (Wright, 1881)^[8]

Family Tedaniide

Tedania ignis (Duchassaing & Michelotti 1864)^[2]^[3]^[1]
Lissodendoryx isodictyalis (Carter, 1882)^[2]^[8]

Family Tetillidae

Cinachyrella apion (Uliczka, 1929)^[8]
Cinachyrella kuekenthali (Uliczka, 1929)^[7]
Cinachyrella tarentina (Pulitzer-Finali, 1983) ^[6]

Family Thorectidae

Hyrtios proteus Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864^[8]
Hyrtios violaceus (Duchassaing & Michelotti 1864)^[3]

Freshwater sponges

Family Metaniidae

Acalle recurvata (Bowerbank, 1863) ^[11]
Drulia browni (Bowerbank, 1863)^[11]
Drulia conifera Boneto & Ezcurra de Drago, 1973^[11]
Drulia cristata (Weltner, 1895)^[11]
Drulia uruguayensis Boneto & Ezcurra de Drago, 1968^[11]
Metania reticulata (Bowerbank, 1863)^[11]

Family Potamolepidae

Onosclera intermedia (Boneto & Ezcurra de Drago, 1973)^[11]
Onosclera navicella (Carter, 1881)^[11]
Onosclera spinifera (Boneto & Ezcurra de Drago, 1973)^[11]
Uruguaya corallioides (Bowerbank, 1863)^[11]

Family Spongillidae

Corvoheteromeyenia heterosclera (Ezcurra de drago, 1974)^[11]
Saturnospongilla carvalhoi Volkmer-Rivero, 1976^[11]
Spongilla alba Carter, 1849^[11]
Pottsiela spoliata Volkmer-Rivero & Maciel, 1983^[11]
Trochospongilla gregaria (Bowerbank, 1863)^[11]
Trochospongilla minuta (Postt, 1887)^[11]
Trochospongilla paulula (Bowerbank, 1863)^[11]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l Sutherland, J.P. 1980: Dynamics of the epibenthic community on roots of the mangrove Rhizophora mangle, at Bahia de Buche, Venezuela. Marine Biology, 58:75-84. PDF
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w Díaz, Humberto., Bevilacqua, Marina. y Bone, David. 1985. Esponjas del Parque Nacional Morrocoy. Fondo Editorial Acta Científica Venezolana. Caracas. 64p.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ Catálogo de la colección de Porifera del Museo de Biología de la Universidad Central (MBUCV-XX)
^ ^a ^b Villamizar, E. and R. A. Laughlin. 1991. Fauna associated with the sponges Aplysina archeri and Aplysina lacunosa in a coral reef of the Archipielago de Los Roques, National Park, Venezuela. Pages 522–542 in J. Reitner and H. Keupp, eds. Fossil and recent sponges. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
^ ^a ^b Venezuelatuya.com: Esponjas Marinas por Fundación La Tortuga. http://www.venezuelatuya.com/natura/esponjasmarinas.htm
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h Pompa M, Luis A. y Lin, Alan L. 1980: Carotenoides de algunas demospongias (Porifera) de la Bahía de Mochima, Edo. Sucre, Venezuela. Boletín del Instituto Oceanográfico Universidad de Oriente 19(1-2):9-14.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j Amaro, María E. y Liñero-Arana, Ildefonso. 2002: Demospongiae (Porifera) de Isla Larga, bahía de Mochima, Venezuela. Boletín del Instituto Oceanográfico de Venezuela 41(1-2):45=53. PDF Archived 2012-04-26 at the Wayback Machine
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q ^r ^s ^t ^u ^v ^w ^x ^y ^z ^aa ^ab ^ac ^ad ^ae ^af ^ag ^ah ^ai ^aj ^ak ^al ^am ^an ^ao ^ap ^aq ^ar ^as ^at ^au ^av ^aw ^ax ^ay ^az ^ba María Cristina Díaz and Klaus Rützler 2009: Biodiversity and abundance of sponges in Caribbean mangrove: indicators of environmental quality. Smithsonian Contributions to the Marine Sciences, 38:151-172. PDF Archived 2012-03-24 at the Wayback Machine
^ ^a ^b Reinaldo S. Compagnone, Maria C. Oliveri, Ivette C. Piña, Sheila Marques, Héctor R. Rangel, Fracehulli Dagger, AlÍrica I. Suárez & Matilde Gómez. 1999: 5-Alkylpyrrole-2-Carboxaldehydes From the Caribbean Sponges Mycale Microsigmatosa and Desmapsamma Anchorata. Natural Product Letters, 13(3) :203=211.
^ ^a ^b ^c Díaz, M.C.; Alvarez, B.; van Soest, R.W.M. 1987. New species of Demospongiae (Porifera) from the national park 'Archipiélago de Los Roques', Venezuela. Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde 57 (1): 31-41.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f ^g ^h ⁱ ^j ^k ^l ^m ⁿ ^o ^p ^q Volkmer-Ribeiro, Cecilia. y Pauls, Sheila M. 2000: Esponjas de agua dulce (Porifera, Desmopongiae) de Venezuela. Acta Biologica Venezuelica, 20(1):1-28

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.

Statistics

Marine sponges

Freshwater sponges

See also

References

Other references

External links

Videos