Encrusting black sponge

Aqua Splendor · Dec 26, 2022

Hello,

I have a black sponge growing on a plug, usually, I love sponges since they are natural filters but, this one, I might consider too dangerous for corals.
It seems to grow relatively fast I would say but what worries me is the fact that the sponge is able to fight and perhaps push away a Xeniid, it's encrusting all over the rock.

Don't mind the Aiptasia. (At least the sponge can't fight against it)
I'm about to toss the full plug, my instinct tells me that but if you have any ID, species wise please let me know, thank you.

vetteguy53081 · Dec 26, 2022

Aqua Splendor said:
Hello,

I have a black sponge growing on a plug, usually, I love sponges since they are natural filters but, this one, I might consider too dangerous for corals.
It seems to grow relatively fast I would say but what worries me is the fact that the sponge is able to fight and perhaps push away a Xeniid, it's encrusting all over the rock.

Don't mind the Aiptasia. (At least the sponge can't fight against it)
I'm about to toss the full plug, my instinct tells me that but if you have any ID, species wise please let me know, thank you.

View attachment 2948096
View attachment 2948097

Black sponge is unwelcomed due to its toxins and best to take frag out and place in a container of tank water and scrape, then brush off with firm toothbrush and peroxide or a little vinegar. They peel off easier than most sponge
You also have many aptasia in there which are capable of stinging not to mention multiplying. You can get rid of them by smothering each ones head Using a syringe or pipette, inject either lemon juice or better yet. . kalkwasser powder mixed with tank water into a paste the consistency of toothpaste and inject into the very center core and it will melt away

Aqua Splendor · Dec 26, 2022

"Don't mind the aiptasia '
Because it's food

I hear about that toxin thing but this is the kind of information that spread perhaps fastly, do you have a link to research about this species of sponge and their toxin?
It's like saying sponges died when in contact with air, even if it's true it doesn't apply to all of them.

Oh and also, If I get ride of, I'm not taking chances with scrubbing, it could easily spread, in this case, it's easy to simply toss away the plug. I mean, it's a pest on top of a pest with some pest around it lol.

ISpeakForTheSeas · Dec 26, 2022

Aqua Splendor said:
"Don't mind the aiptasia '
Because it's food

I hear about that toxin thing but this is the kind of information that spread perhaps fastly, do you have a link to research about this species of sponge and their toxin?
It's like saying sponges died when in contact with air, even if it's true it doesn't apply to all of them.

Oh and also, If I get ride of, I'm not taking chances with scrubbing, it could easily spread, in this case, it's easy to simply toss away the plug. I mean, it's a pest on top of a pest with some pest around it lol.

Vetteguy is likely thinking of the sponge Terpios hoshinota - an invasive black sponge that grows over and smothers corals (it's very efficient at this, but it can be beaten back/smothered by some corals and coralline algae). I have no idea if this sponge is T. hoshinota or not (see the quote about sponge ID below), but in case it is, I've posted some info about it below as well.

ISpeakForTheSeas said:
Pineapple sponges are from the genus Sycon - The more common pineapple sponges in our tanks can pretty easily be ID’ed by sight (short, round, spiky/fuzzy, has a little spiky crown/funnel looking thing around the opening). Some other pineapple sponge species are much harder to differentiate, and - like many (likely most) sponge species alive - may require microscopic examination and/or DNA testing to actually ID accurately. These sponges in the pics are fuzzy, but they lack the typical “pineapple crown” around the opening, so, they might be pineapple sponges or they might not.

Personally, I wouldn’t feel comfortable giving an ID beyond just saying they’re sponges, as these ones just don’t have enough obviously unique characteristics that I can see to ID from.

Anyway, here’s a good Sponge ID resource for anyone who’s interested- as mentioned, though, sometimes DNA is the best indicator for telling sponges apart:

https://www.fao.org/3/i7773e/i7773e.pdf
And, here’s a decent example of why sponge ID by non-microscopic sight is not always reliable:

https://www.researchgate.net/figure/A-G-Live-specimens-of-Lissodendoryx-species-illustrating-variations-in-shape-and_fig6_248716402

ISpeakForTheSeas said:
They might, yes - as long as the sponge lacks the proper defensive chemicals to combat them (either through killing them or through just being unpalatable to them). Some sponges have toxins, some don't, some toxins are effective against echinoderms (such as urchins), some toxins are not.

Terpios hoshinota contains a couple different cytotoxins which may be a potential deterrent, but at least some sea urchins also have cytotoxic coelomocytes, which to me would seem indicate a chance that the toxins of the above sponge are not toxic to or are only mildly toxic to urchins (I'm neither a toxicologist nor a marine biologist, so I don't know based on the chemistry of the toxin or the biology of urchins if they would be impacted by these specific toxins or not). So, if what you're dealing with is Terpios hoshinota, that would be very interesting to see sea urchin predation on it.

ISpeakForTheSeas said:
I don't know (though it theoretically should be). If it is T. hoshinota overtaking your corals though, it can be killed by shading it* (they shaded it at like 30% natural sunlight for 10 days and found it died and didn't grow back). So, I'd imagine that either reducing your lights or doing a multiday blackout period should be able to kill it.

*The study:

https://www.researchgate.net/publication/318973690_Short-term_in_situ_shading_effectively_mitigates_linear_progression_of_coral-killing_sponge_Terpios_hoshinota