Giant barrel sponge
Species of sponge / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The giant barrel sponge (Xestospongia muta) is the largest species of sponge found growing on Caribbean coral reefs. It is common at depths greater than 10 metres (33 ft) down to 120 metres (390 ft) and can reach a diameter of 1.8 metres (6 feet). It is typically brownish-red to brownish-gray in color, with a hard or stony texture.[3]
Quick Facts Conservation status, Scientific classification ...
Giant barrel sponge | |
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Scientific classification | |
Domain: | Eukaryota |
Kingdom: | Animalia |
Phylum: | Porifera |
Class: | Demospongiae |
Order: | Haplosclerida |
Family: | Petrosiidae |
Genus: | Xestospongia |
Species: | X. muta |
Binomial name | |
Xestospongia muta (Schmidt, 1870)[2] | |
Synonyms | |
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The giant barrel sponge has been called the "redwood of the reef"[4] because of its large size and its long lifespan, which can be more than 2000 years.[5] It is perhaps the best-studied species of sponge in the sea; a population on Conch Reef, in the Florida Keys, has been monitored and studied since 1997.[6]