sponges text index | photo index
Phylum Porifera
Champagne sponge
Callyspongia diffusa*
Family Callyspongiidae
updated Oct 2016
Where seen? This group of champagne pink or lilac, rough thick walled sponges are sometimes seen on some of our Southern shores, growing on coral rubble.

Features:
Grouped on this page are small (10-15cm) sponges with rough thick walls and coloured a dull champagne pink or purplish pink (lilac). Texture a fine network angular polygons formed out of tiny spikes. Forms variable. Some have thick cylindrical branches, long or short. These branches may fuse to form upright, fan-like or other irregular shapes. There may be a large circular hole (0.5cm) at the tip of a branch but the hole isn't very deep. There may also be holes of regular size and spaced along the length of the branch.

Looks similar to the Lumpy pink sponge which has deeper holes, a more encrusting form and smoother texture and is usually bright pink or bright purple.

Pulau Hantu, Jun 10


Terumbu Semakau, Dec 11

Pulau Semakau, Feb 08


Sentosa, Jun 07

Pulau Hantu, Jul 07

Terumbu Salu, Jan 10
*Species are difficult to positively identify without close examination.
On this website, they are grouped by external features for convenience of display.


Champagne sponges on Singapore shores
On wildsingapore flickr

Other sightings on Singapore shores


Berlayar Creek, )ct 15
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.
   


Terumbu Berkas, Jan 10

Pulau Sudong, Dec 09

Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on his flickr.


Pulau Salu, Jun 10

Pulau Berkas, May 10

Terumbu Berkas, Jan 10

Links

References

  • Lim Swee Cheng, Nicole de Voogd and Tan Koh Siang. 2008. A Guide to Sponges of Singapore. Singapore Science Centre. 173pp.
 
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