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 64117
Marine sponges
Family Acarnidae
AcarnusSutherland, 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
Family Adociidae Sigmadocia caerulea Hechtel 1965Díaz, Humberto., Bevilacqua, Marina. y Bone, David. 1985. Esponjas del Parque Nacional Morrocoy. Fondo Editorial Acta Científica Venezolana. Caracas. 64p.
Family Aplysinidae Aplysina archeri (Higgin, 1875)Catálogo de la colección de Porifera del Museo de Biología de la Universidad Central (MBUCV-XX)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. Aplysina caissara Pinheiro & Hajdu, 2001Venezuelatuya.com: Esponjas Marinas por Fundación La Tortuga. http://www.venezuelatuya.com/natura/esponjasmarinas.htm Aplysina cauliformis (Carter, 1882) Aplysina fistularis (Pallas, 1766)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.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 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 Aplysina fulva (Pallas, 1766) Aplysina lacunosa (Lamarck, 1814)
Family Callyspongiidae Callyspongia arcesiosa Laubenfels, 1936 Callyspongia vaginalis (Lamarck, 1814)
Family Chalinidae Chalinula molitba (Laubenfels, 1949)
Family Chondrillidae Chondrilla caribensis Rützler, Duran & Piantoni, 2007 Chondrilla nucula Smithdt 1862
Family Clionidae Cliona raphida Boury-Esnault, 1973 Cliona varians (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)
Family Coelosphaeridae Lissodendoryx
Family Crambeidae Monanchora arbuscula (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)
Family Darwinellidae Aplysilla glacialis (Merejkowski, 1878) Chelonaplysilla erecta Tsurnamal, 1967 Darwinella rosacea Hechtel, 1965
Family Desmacididae Desmapsamma anchorata (Carter, 1882)
Family Desmacidonidae Liosina monticulosa (Verrill, 1907)
Family Dysidea Dysidea etheria Laubenfels, 1936
Family Dictyonellidae Scopalina ruetzleri (Wiedenmayer, 1977)
Family Dysideidae Dysidea etheria Laubenfels, 1936
Family Geodiidae Geodia gibberosa Lamarck, 1815 Geodia papyracea Hechtel, 1965
Family Grantiidae Leucandra aspera (Schmidt, 1862)
Family Halichondriidae Anthosigmella varians (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) Halichondria magniculosa Hechtel Halichondria melanadocia Laubenfels, 1936 Topsentia ophiraphidites (Laubenfels, 1934)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.
Family Halicloniidae Haliclona caerulea (Hechtel, 1965) Haliclona crassiloba Laubenfels, 1950 Haliclona curacaoensis (van Soest, 1980) Haliclona doria Laubenfels, 1936 Haliclona implexiformis (Hechtel, 1965) Haliclona magnifica de Weerdt, Rützler & Smith, 1991 Haliclona manglaris Alcolado, 1984 Haliclona permollis (Bowerbank, 1866) Haliclona picadaerensis Haliclona tubifera (George & Wilson, 1919) Haliclona twincayensis de Weerdt, Rützler & Smith, 1991 Haliclona viridis (Keller, 1889) Niphastes variabilis Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864
Family Halisarcidae Halisarca
Family Heteroxyidae Myrmekioderma rea (de Laubenfels, 1934)
Family Hymedesmiidae Phorbas amaranthus Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864
Family Iotrochotidae Iotrochota birotulata (Higgin, 1877)
Family Irciniidae Irsinia fasciculata (Pallas, 1766) Ircinia felix (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) Irsinia strobilina (Lamarck, 1816)
Family Microcionidae Artemisina melana van Soest, 1984 Clathria ferrea (de Laubenfels, 1936) Clathria venosa Hooper, 1996 Clathria microchela (Stephens, 1916) Clathria schoenus (Laubenfels, 1936) Clathria venosa (Alcolado, 1984) Microciona Pandaros acanthifolium Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864
Family Mycalidae Ulosa hispida Hechtel, 1965 Mycale americana van Soest, 1984 Mycale angulosa (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) Mycale carmigropila Hajdu & Rützler, 1998 Mycale citrina Hajdu & Rützler, 1998 Mycale laxissima (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) Mycale magnirhaphidifera van Soest, 1984 Mycale microsigmatosa Arndt, 1927Reinaldo 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.
Family Niphatidae Amphimedon compressa Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 Amphimedon viridis Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 Gelliodes ramosa Kieschnick, 1898 Neopetrosia subtriangularis (Duchassaing, 1850) Niphates erecta Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864
Family Ophlitaspongiidae Biemna caribea Pulitzer-Finali, 1986 Biemna microstyla Laubenfels, 1950 Desmacella jania Verrill, 1907 Desmacella meliorata Wiedenmayer, 1977
Family Petrosiidae Neopetrosia subtriangularis (Duchassaing, 1850)
Family Phloeodictyidae Oceanapia nodosa (George & Wilson, 1919)
Family Placospongiidae Placospongia intermedia Sollas, 1888
Family Spirastrellidae Desmacella jania
Family Spongiidae
Spongia pertusa Hyatt, 1877 Spongia officinalis Linnaeus, 1759 Spongia tubulifera Lamarck, 1814 Spongia zimocca Schmidt, 1862
Family Suberitidae Prosuberites laughlini (Díaz, Álvarez & van Soest, 1987) Suberites aurantiacus (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864) Terpios fugax Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 Terpios zeteki Laubenfels 1936 Terpios manglaris Rützler & Smith, 1993
Family Sycettidae Sycon
Family Tethyidae Tethya actinia de Laubenfels, 1950 Tethya seychellensis (Wright, 1881)
Family Tedaniide Tedania ignis (Duchassaing & Michelotti 1864) Lissodendoryx isodictyalis (Carter, 1882)
Family Tetillidae Cinachyrella apion (Uliczka, 1929) Cinachyrella kuekenthali (Uliczka, 1929) Cinachyrella tarentina (Pulitzer-Finali, 1983)
Family Thorectidae Hyrtios proteus Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864 Hyrtios violaceus (Duchassaing & Michelotti 1864)
Freshwater sponges Family Metaniidae Acalle recurvata (Bowerbank, 1863) y 2000: Esponjas de agua dulce (Porifera, Desmopongiae) de Venezuela. Acta Biologica Venezuelica, 20(1):1-28 Drulia browni (Bowerbank, 1863) Drulia conifera Boneto & Ezcurra de Drago, 1973 Drulia cristata (Weltner, 1895) Drulia uruguayensis Boneto & Ezcurra de Drago, 1968 Metania reticulata (Bowerbank, 1863)
Family Potamolepidae Onosclera intermedia (Boneto & Ezcurra de Drago, 1973) Onosclera navicella (Carter, 1881) Onosclera spinifera (Boneto & Ezcurra de Drago, 1973) Uruguaya corallioides (Bowerbank, 1863)
Family Spongillidae Corvoheteromeyenia heterosclera (Ezcurra de drago, 1974) Saturnospongilla carvalhoi Volkmer-Rivero, 1976 Spongilla alba Carter, 1849 Pottsiela spoliata Volkmer-Rivero & Maciel, 1983 Trochospongilla gregaria (Bowerbank, 1863) Trochospongilla minuta (Postt, 1887) Trochospongilla paulula (Bowerbank, 1863)
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
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
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