Red Needle Sponge [Callyspongia fallax]
Description
The Red Needle Sponge is a species of demosponge that is often red or pinkish-red. It has slender, needle-like branches. This species is common in the waters of the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. It's a filter feeder, consuming microscopic organic particles. It prefers to inhabit reef crests and fore-reef slopes.
Taxonomy
| Phylum |
Sponges
Porifera
|
|---|---|
| Class |
Hexactinellida
Hexactinellida
|
| Order |
Hexactinosida
Hexactinosida
|
| Family |
Glass Rope Sponges
Hyalonematidae
|
| Genus |
Needle Sponges
Pheronema
|