List of sponges of Venezuela
| Part of a series on | 
| Wildlife of Venezuela | 
|---|
![]()  | 
The sponges of Venezuela are a part of the Porifera fauna of Venezuela (which is part of the wildlife of Venezuela).
A number of species of sponges are found in the wild in Venezuela.
This is a partial list of the marine and freshwater sponges of Venezuela. The families are listed alphabetically within the classes.
Statistics
| Environment | Nº of Families | Nº of Genera | Nº of Species | 
|---|---|---|---|
| Marine species | 39 | 54 | 100 | 
| Freshwater species | 3 | 10 | 17 | 
| Total | 42 | 64 | 117 | 
Marine sponges
.jpg)
.jpg)

Family Acarnidae
Family Adociidae
- Sigmadocia caerulea Hechtel 1965[2]
 
Family Aplysinidae
- Aplysina archeri (Higgin, 1875)[3][4]
 - Aplysina caissara Pinheiro & Hajdu, 2001[5]
 - Aplysina cauliformis (Carter, 1882)[3]
 - Aplysina fistularis (Pallas, 1766)[6][7][8]
 - Aplysina fulva (Pallas, 1766)[3]
 - Aplysina lacunosa (Lamarck, 1814)[3][4]
 
Family Callyspongiidae
- Callyspongia arcesiosa Laubenfels, 1936[8]
 - Callyspongia vaginalis (Lamarck, 1814)[3][6]
 
Family Chalinidae
- Chalinula molitba (Laubenfels, 1949)[8]
 
Family Chondrillidae
- Chondrilla caribensis Rützler, Duran & Piantoni, 2007[8]
 - Chondrilla nucula Smithdt 1862[2][6][7]
 
Family Clionidae
Family Coelosphaeridae
Family Crambeidae
- Monanchora arbuscula (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)[8]
 
Family Darwinellidae
- Aplysilla glacialis (Merejkowski, 1878)[8]
 - Chelonaplysilla erecta Tsurnamal, 1967[8]
 - Darwinella rosacea Hechtel, 1965[8]
 
Family Desmacididae
Family Desmacidonidae
- Liosina monticulosa (Verrill, 1907)[2]
 
Family Dysidea
- Dysidea etheria Laubenfels, 1936[8]
 
Family Dictyonellidae
- Scopalina ruetzleri (Wiedenmayer, 1977)[7]
 
Family Dysideidae
- Dysidea etheria Laubenfels, 1936[3]
 
Family Geodiidae
- Geodia gibberosa Lamarck, 1815[2][1][8]
 - Geodia papyracea Hechtel, 1965[8]
 
Family Grantiidae
- Leucandra aspera (Schmidt, 1862)
 
Family Halichondriidae
- Anthosigmella varians (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)[2]
 - Halichondria magniculosa Hechtel[2]
 - Halichondria melanadocia Laubenfels, 1936[7][1]
 - Topsentia ophiraphidites (Laubenfels, 1934)[10]
 
Family Halicloniidae
- Haliclona caerulea (Hechtel, 1965)[8]
 - Haliclona crassiloba Laubenfels, 1950[2]
 - Haliclona curacaoensis (van Soest, 1980)[8]
 - Haliclona doria Laubenfels, 1936[2]
 - Haliclona implexiformis (Hechtel, 1965)[8]
 - Haliclona magnifica de Weerdt, Rützler & Smith, 1991[8]
 - Haliclona manglaris Alcolado, 1984[8]
 - Haliclona permollis (Bowerbank, 1866)[2]
 - Haliclona picadaerensis[8]
 - Haliclona tubifera (George & Wilson, 1919)[1][8]
 - Haliclona twincayensis de Weerdt, Rützler & Smith, 1991[8]
 - Haliclona viridis (Keller, 1889) [2]
 - Niphastes variabilis Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864[2]
 
Family Halisarcidae
Family Heteroxyidae
- Myrmekioderma rea (de Laubenfels, 1934)[10]
 
Family Hymedesmiidae
- Phorbas amaranthus Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864[5]
 
Family Iotrochotidae
- Iotrochota birotulata (Higgin, 1877)[3]
 
Family Irciniidae
- Irsinia fasciculata (Pallas, 1766)[2][6]
 - Ircinia felix (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)[3][7][8]
 - Irsinia strobilina (Lamarck, 1816)[2][3][6][7][8]
 
Family Microcionidae
- Artemisina melana van Soest, 1984[8]
 - Clathria ferrea (de Laubenfels, 1936)[8]
 - Clathria venosa Hooper, 1996[1]
 - Clathria microchela (Stephens, 1916)[8]
 - Clathria schoenus (Laubenfels, 1936)[8]
 - Clathria venosa (Alcolado, 1984)[8]
 - Microciona[2]
 - Pandaros acanthifolium Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864[3][1]
 
Family Mycalidae
- Ulosa hispida Hechtel, 1965[2]
 - Mycale americana van Soest, 1984[8]
 - Mycale angulosa (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)[8]
 - Mycale carmigropila Hajdu & Rützler, 1998[8]
 - Mycale citrina Hajdu & Rützler, 1998[8]
 - Mycale laxissima (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)[8]
 - Mycale magnirhaphidifera van Soest, 1984[8]
 - Mycale microsigmatosa Arndt, 1927[3][7][9][1]
 
Family Niphatidae
- Amphimedon compressa Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864[8]
 - Amphimedon viridis Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864[7]
 - Gelliodes ramosa Kieschnick, 1898[6]
 - Neopetrosia subtriangularis (Duchassaing, 1850) [6]
 - Niphates erecta Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864[1][8]
 
Family Ophlitaspongiidae
- Biemna caribea Pulitzer-Finali, 1986[8]
 - Biemna microstyla Laubenfels, 1950[2]
 - Desmacella jania Verrill, 1907[2]
 - Desmacella meliorata Wiedenmayer, 1977[8]
 
Family Petrosiidae
- Neopetrosia subtriangularis (Duchassaing, 1850)[8]
 
Family Phloeodictyidae
- Oceanapia nodosa (George & Wilson, 1919)[8]
 
Family Placospongiidae
- Placospongia intermedia Sollas, 1888[8]
 
Family Spirastrellidae
- Desmacella jania[1]
 
Family Spongiidae

- Spongia pertusa Hyatt, 1877[8]
 - Spongia officinalis Linnaeus, 1759[2]
 - Spongia tubulifera Lamarck, 1814[8]
 - Spongia zimocca Schmidt, 1862[2]
 
Family Suberitidae
- Prosuberites laughlini (Díaz, Álvarez & van Soest, 1987)[10][8]
 - Suberites aurantiacus (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)[8]
 - Terpios fugax Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864[1]
 - Terpios zeteki Laubenfels 1936[2]
 - Terpios manglaris Rützler & Smith, 1993[8]
 
Family Sycettidae
Family Tethyidae
- Tethya actinia de Laubenfels, 1950[8]
 - Tethya seychellensis (Wright, 1881)[8]
 
Family Tedaniide
- Tedania ignis (Duchassaing & Michelotti 1864)[2][3][1]
 - Lissodendoryx isodictyalis (Carter, 1882)[2][8]
 
Family Tetillidae
- Cinachyrella apion (Uliczka, 1929)[8]
 - Cinachyrella kuekenthali (Uliczka, 1929)[7]
 - Cinachyrella tarentina (Pulitzer-Finali, 1983) [6]
 
Family Thorectidae
- Hyrtios proteus Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864[8]
 - Hyrtios violaceus (Duchassaing & Michelotti 1864)[3]
 
Freshwater sponges
Family Metaniidae
- Acalle recurvata (Bowerbank, 1863) [11]
 - Drulia browni (Bowerbank, 1863)[11]
 - Drulia conifera Boneto & Ezcurra de Drago, 1973[11]
 - Drulia cristata (Weltner, 1895)[11]
 - Drulia uruguayensis Boneto & Ezcurra de Drago, 1968[11]
 - Metania reticulata (Bowerbank, 1863)[11]
 
Family Potamolepidae
- Onosclera intermedia (Boneto & Ezcurra de Drago, 1973)[11]
 - Onosclera navicella (Carter, 1881)[11]
 - Onosclera spinifera (Boneto & Ezcurra de Drago, 1973)[11]
 - Uruguaya corallioides (Bowerbank, 1863)[11]
 
Family Spongillidae
- Corvoheteromeyenia heterosclera (Ezcurra de drago, 1974)[11]
 - Saturnospongilla carvalhoi Volkmer-Rivero, 1976[11]
 - Spongilla alba Carter, 1849[11]
 - Pottsiela spoliata Volkmer-Rivero & Maciel, 1983[11]
 - Trochospongilla gregaria (Bowerbank, 1863)[11]
 - Trochospongilla minuta (Postt, 1887)[11]
 - Trochospongilla paulula (Bowerbank, 1863)[11]
 
See also
- List of echinoderms of Venezuela
 - List of introduced molluscs of Venezuela
 - List of marine molluscs of Venezuela
 - List of molluscs of Falcón state, Venezuela
 - List of non-marine molluscs of El Hatillo Municipality, Miranda, Venezuela
 - List of non-marine molluscs of Venezuela
 - List of birds of Venezuela
 - List of mammals of Venezuela
 
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Sutherland, J.P. 1980: Dynamics of the epibenthic community on roots of the mangrove Rhizophora mangle, at Bahia de Buche, Venezuela. Marine Biology, 58:75-84. PDF
 - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w Díaz, Humberto., Bevilacqua, Marina. y Bone, David. 1985. Esponjas del Parque Nacional Morrocoy. Fondo Editorial Acta Científica Venezolana. Caracas. 64p.
 - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Catálogo de la colección de Porifera del Museo de Biología de la Universidad Central (MBUCV-XX)
 - ^ a b Villamizar, E. and R. A. Laughlin. 1991. Fauna associated with the sponges Aplysina archeri and Aplysina lacunosa in a coral reef of the Archipielago de Los Roques, National Park, Venezuela. Pages 522–542 in J. Reitner and H. Keupp, eds. Fossil and recent sponges. Springer-Verlag, Berlin.
 - ^ a b Venezuelatuya.com: Esponjas Marinas por Fundación La Tortuga. http://www.venezuelatuya.com/natura/esponjasmarinas.htm
 - ^ a b c d e f g h Pompa M, Luis A. y Lin, Alan L. 1980: Carotenoides de algunas demospongias (Porifera) de la Bahía de Mochima, Edo. Sucre, Venezuela. Boletín del Instituto Oceanográfico Universidad de Oriente 19(1-2):9-14.
 - ^ a b c d e f g h i j Amaro, María E. y Liñero-Arana, Ildefonso. 2002: Demospongiae (Porifera) de Isla Larga, bahía de Mochima, Venezuela. Boletín del Instituto Oceanográfico de Venezuela 41(1-2):45=53. PDF Archived 2012-04-26 at the Wayback Machine
 - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai aj ak al am an ao ap aq ar as at au av aw ax ay az ba María Cristina Díaz and Klaus Rützler 2009: Biodiversity and abundance of sponges in Caribbean mangrove: indicators of environmental quality. Smithsonian Contributions to the Marine Sciences, 38:151-172. PDF Archived 2012-03-24 at the Wayback Machine
 - ^ a b Reinaldo S. Compagnone, Maria C. Oliveri, Ivette C. Piña, Sheila Marques, Héctor R. Rangel, Fracehulli Dagger, AlÍrica I. Suárez & Matilde Gómez. 1999: 5-Alkylpyrrole-2-Carboxaldehydes From the Caribbean Sponges Mycale Microsigmatosa and Desmapsamma Anchorata. Natural Product Letters, 13(3) :203=211.
 - ^ a b c Díaz, M.C.; Alvarez, B.; van Soest, R.W.M. 1987. New species of Demospongiae (Porifera) from the national park 'Archipiélago de Los Roques', Venezuela. Bijdragen tot de Dierkunde 57 (1): 31-41.
 - ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q Volkmer-Ribeiro, Cecilia. y Pauls, Sheila M. 2000: Esponjas de agua dulce (Porifera, Desmopongiae) de Venezuela. Acta Biologica Venezuelica, 20(1):1-28
 
Other references
- Álvarez, A. I. 1989. Establecimiento, desarrollo y mantenimiento de una comunidad epibentónica tropical. [Settlement, Development and Maintenance of a Tropical Epibenthic Community.] Licenciate’s Thesis, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela.
 - Diaz, M. C., S. Pauls, E. Villamizar, A. Alvizu, M. E. Amaro, M. Cellamare, S. Grune, I. Hernández, S. Narciso, A. Pérez, J. Pérez, I. Ramírez, R. Ramos, M. P. Romero, and P. Young. 2003. Porifera Biodiversity in Nueva Esparta, Venezuela: Common Species from La Restinga and Cabugua Island. Abstract. The Twin Cays Mangrove Ecosystem, Belize: Biodiversity, Geological History, and Two Decades of Change. Report from a Workshop, Smithsonian Marine Station, Fort Pierce, Florida, December 2003. Washington, D.C.: Smithsonian Institution.
 - Pauls, S. 1998. Estudio Sistemático y Biodiversidad de Porifera y Cnidaria en la Bahía de la P. N. Henri Pittier. [Systematic and Diversity Study of Porifera and Cnidaria of the Ciénaga de Ocumare de la Costa Bay, Henri Pittier National Park.] Caracas: Escuela de Biología, Universidad Central de Venezuela.
 - Pauls, S. 2003. “Esponjas.” In Biodiversidad en Venezuela. [“Sponges.”In Biodiversity of Venezuela.], ed. M. Aguilera, A. Azocar, and E. Gonzales, pp. 210– 219. Caracas, Venezuela: Polar Foundation and Ministry of Science and Technology.
 - Pérez, A. 2007. Biodiversidad y Estructura Comunitaria de Poriferos Asociados a Raíces del Manglar, Rhizophora mangle, en el P. N. Laguna de La Restinga, Nueva Esparta, Venezuela. [Biodiversity and Community Structure of Porifers Associated to Mangrove Roots, Rizophora mangle, in Laguna de La Restinga National Park, Nueva Esparta, Venezuela.] Licenciate’s Thesis, Universidad Central de Venezuela, Caracas, Venezuela.
 - Ramírez, I. 2002. Taxonomía de Esponjas (Porifera: Demospongiae) de la Laguna de Bocaripo, Estado Sucre, e Islote Caribe, Dependencia Federal, Venezuela. [Taxonomy of the Sponges (Porifera: Demospongiae) of Bocaripo Lagoon, Estado Sucre, and Caribe Island, Dependencia Federal, Venezuela.] Licenciate’s Thesis, Universidad de Oriente, Cumaná.
 
External links
- M. Cristina Diaz and Klaus Rützler. 2001: Sponges: an essential component of Caribbean coral reefs. Bulletin of Marine Science, 69(2): 535–546
 - World Register of Marine Species (Worms)
 - World Porifera database
 
