Species Name: Haliscara caerulea

Authority: Vacelet & Donaday, 1967

Common Name: Encrusting Star Sponge

Range: Western Atlantic Ocean: Florida, Caribbean, Bahamas

Natural Environment: Inhabits reef slopes and coral rubble

General Husbandry: Has a temperature range of 68 to 79°F (20 - 26°C). Not a commercial aquarium item, and if it does show up, its usually on coral rubble. Feeds 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. Needs to be placed in the shade and where the current is quite swift. Will not tolerate hair algae and nitrate-nitrogen levels should be kept below 15 mg/l. Better left in the wild. Discussed here for identification purpose only.

Note: For a photo of this sponge, visit the Baensch Marine Atlas Vol. 2, page 127.

Taxonomy: Subphylum Cellularia, Class Demospongiae, Subclass Ceractinomorpha, Order: Dendroceratida