Species Name: Cliona caribbaea

Common Name: Yellow Sponge

Range: Western Atlantic Ocean: Caribbean

Natural Environment: Inhabits reef and lagoon areas

General Husbandry: Has a temperature range of 72 to 79°F (22 - 26°C). These encrusting type sponges usually come in on live rock and are somewhat difficult to maintain. They will not tolerate algae and/or nitrate-nitrogen levels much above 15 ppm. They feed upon plankton and suspended detritus, and require numerous feedings per day of live and/or preserved commercial phytoplankton products or that of animal and plant powders that produce suspended products in the bulk water.

Taxonomy: Subphylum Cellularia, Class Demospongiae, Subclass Tetractinomorpha, Order: Hadromerida