Saltcorner
By Bob Goemans
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Family Ancorinidae

Jaspis serpentina

Wilson, 1925

Encrusting Sponge

Not Reef Tank Suitable

Not Suitable for Fish-Only Tank

Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean

Natural Environment: Inhabits shallow lagoons where it encrusts dead corals, coral rubble and generally any other available hard substrates.

Aquarium Suitability: May arrive attached to live rock and possible the lower exposed areas of stony corals, where it can eat its way into its skeleton material. Removed when seen.

Furthermore, keep in mind, if a hitchhiker sponge arrives attached to a coral specimen or live rock, it is reasonable to assume that at one time it was subjected to 'air' when the specimen or rock was harvested/shipped/transferred to various storage areas, thereby endangering the ongoing lifespan of the hitchhiker sponge, as it should never to subjected to air! Therefore the ongoing culture of hitchhiker sponges is dismal at best!

Best left in the wild.

Taxonomy:

    Kingdom: Animalia

    Phylum: Porifera

    Class: Demospongiae

    Subclass: Heteroscleromorpha

    Order: Tetractinellida

    Family: Ancorinidae

    Genus: Jaspis

FYI: Shown here for identification only.

 Jaspis serpentina (Encrusting Sponge)
Photo © Bob Goemans
Site Supported in Part by:
AquaLogic