Crella (Grayella) cyathophora

Carter, 1869

Encrusting White Sponge

Range: Indian Ocean

Natural Environment: Inhabits areas under boulders and loose rock where current is quite swift.

Aquarium Suitability: Not collected for the home aquarium trade.

Best left in the wild.

Taxonomy:

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Porifera

Class: Demospongiae

Subclass: Heteroscleromorpha

Order: Poecilosclerida

Family: Crellidae

Genus: Crella

FYI: Shown here for identification only.

Feeds by drawing water in and through its pores and filtering out bacteria and organic particles, then expelling the filtered water out through the osculi.