Likely Reef Tank Suitable
Likely Fish-Only Tank Suitable
Range: Indo-West Pacific Ocean
Natural Environment: Inhabits rubble and rocky shoreline areas where currents are usually very strong.
Aquarium Suitability: These small harmless calcareous sponges, often less than 1 inch (2.5 cm), yet can attain 2 inches in height (5 cm) can occasionally show up in aquaria and often are seen attached to hard surfaces.
Usually a sign of good water quality and may increase their numbers, especially where the current is quite swift.
A very similar species in found in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean.
Taxonomy:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Porifera
Class: Demospongiae
Subclass: Heteroscleromorpha
Order: Suberitida
Family: Sycettidae
Genus: Sycon
FYI: These are sponges having skeletons composed of three or four rayed calcareous spicules, which consist of calcium carbonate in the form of calcite.
Was previously identified as Sycon ciliate.