corals. invertebrates. It is important to handle with care and be cautious when having a sponge enter the tank and … All … buy now. Sponges. Caribbean Reef Life sample guide book page for sponge identification. Many have very specific needs for salinity, pH, temperature, and more. The Venus' flower basket (Euplectella aspergillum) is a glass sponge in the phylum Porifera.It is a marine sponge found in the deep waters of the Pacific ocean.As other glass sponges, they build their skeletons out of silica, which is of great interest in materials science as their optical and mechanical properties are in some ways superior to man-made materials. The symbiotic algae go a long way to providing enough sugars to fuel the sponge's metabolism, often providing a competitive edge for these sponges on a reef. Different species of sponges require different types of care. They can also benefit from good sand sifters in the tank. Sponges can release dangerous toxins if stressed out that can affect other members of your tank. Description: The Blue Sponge is a popular sponge for the marine aquarium. Plants. Aquariums and experienced saltwater tank owners must keep these specific items stable to keep the sponge healthy. Geologists, who were drilling through ice in the Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf on the Weddell Sea, came across this rock harboring sponges and potentially several previously unknown species. A diverse sponge population can affect water quality on the reef as the sponges filter water, collect bacteria, and process carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus. There are over 8,000 different species of sponges in the ocean and some of them exhibit striking shapes and colors. Like other Sponges, the Blue Sponge filter feeds plankton food from the ocean's water. Pursuant to section 120.74, Florida Statutes, the Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has published its 2019 Agency Regulatory Plan.2019 Agency Regulatory Plan. Some of these species, as might be expected, do well in reef aquaria, but some sponges harboring similar species of zooxanthellae also do very well in the deep cold water of Antarctica. fishes. species, but in these cases it appears to be a consist ent character useful for sponge taxonom y. Larval Larval shape (e.g. Identifying sponges The identification of sponges is very difficult due to their unique morphological traits and intraspecific marine species of lesser-known groups, such as sponges, that are hard to identify with photographs or illustrations due to their lack of complex morphological characters, and thus require specialized techniques. You must also provide food for the sponge. Although common in the late Jurassic period, sponge reefs were believed to have gone extinct during or shortly after the Cretaceous period, until the … Its popularity is due to its attractive blue color. Sponge reefs are reefs formed by Hexactinellid sponges, which have a skeleton made of silica, and are often referred to as glass sponges.Such reefs are now very rare, and found only on the western Canadian continental shelf. Caribbean Sponges: Caribbean Reef Life: Home Galleries Book Samples eBooks More Info Buy Now The Book. One reason this species is so popular is that with the proper care it will grow quite well from even the smallest piece. The Orange Sponge, Clathria sp.,   will filter feed but should be supplemented with phytoplankton or zooplankton. The blue sponge, for example, is known and loved for its brilliant shade of electric blue that lights up the saltwater aquarium. Sea Sponge Care.