Toxic Finger Sponge

Found between and under corals and rocks of shallow coral reefs. When touched it releases a strongly smelling, reddish juice, which instantaneously makes all the fish flee away.

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.