Description

Also known as Caribbean Demo-sponge, Caribbean Sponge, Demo-sponge, Formosan Sponge, Red-boring Sponge.

Found over hard bottoms, in seagrass beds, and around mangroves, of inshore coastal reefs.
They feed on plankton.
Length - 25cm
Depth - 1-100m
Widespread Western Atlantic, Caribbean

When taken out of water these sponges are foul smelling hence the name!

Sponges come in a range of sizes from minuscule encrusting species under rocks to massive sponges which can be up to one and half metres high.
They are able to filter many litres of sea water every few seconds.
Sponges can exude highly toxic chemicals and so have very few predators apart from nudibranchs, sea stars, sea urchins and umbrella shell.
Their colour can vary if growing in the light or when growing in the shade. Ref: https://www.sealifebase.ca/summary/Ircinia-felix.html