WHATSTHATFISH
Sponges

Stinker Sponge

Iricinia felix

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

Adult
@josh822 · Lord Cumbermere shipwreck, Barbados · July 20191 / 1
01

Overview

Found over hard bottoms, in seagrass beds, and around mangroves, of inshore coastal reefs.

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.

02

How to identify

Body shape
holesstubbly

Tap any trait to see other fish that share it.

03

Habitat & where to find it

  • Range · Western Atlantic, Caribbean
  • Country only · 1
LIVES IN

Found over hard bottoms, in seagrass beds, and around mangroves, of inshore coastal reefs.

04

Adult photos 1

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Discussion

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    ALL STAGES
    FOR THE MARINE-BIOLOGY CURIOUS

    Deep dive

    Taxonomy

    1. kingdomAnimalia
    2. phylumPorifera
    3. classDemospongiae
    4. orderDictyoceratida
    5. familyIrciniidae
    6. genusIricinia
    7. speciesIricinia felix

    SourcesSeaLifeBase

    06

    More in the family

    Dictyoceratida