Neopetrosia rosariensis

(Zea & Rutzler, 1983)

Orange Tube Sponge

Range: Western Atlantic Ocean: Caribbean and Puerto Rico.

Natural Environment: Inhabits reef slopes where the current is fairly swift.

Aquarium Suitability: Not collected for the home aquarium trade.

Best left in the wild.

Note: For a photo of this sponge, visit the Baensch Marine Atlas Vol. 2, page 102.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Porifera

Class: Demospongiae

Subclass: Heteroscleromorpha

Order: Haplosclerida

Family: Petrosiidae

Genus: Neopetrosia

FYI: Sponges posses no nervous, digestive or excretory systems, and feed by filtering suspended bacteria and fine detritus. Strong water movement is vital to almost all, not only for carrying food to these sessile creatures but also to carry waste/unused matter away. In fact, a sponge the size of a baseball can filter about fifty gallons of water per hour!

Was previously Xestospongia rosariensis.