Black Encrusting sponge ID

[bushdoc]

Came back from few days vacation and have noticed Black Encrusting Sponge ( I suppose) on base of my Hammerhead. This particular colony seem to be a bit less extended, although no really big difference. Could it be Terpios hoshinota? If so, should I get rid of this colony? I can banish my coral to a "special" dungeon aquarium with other pests ( majano, mantis shrimp).

 

[ISpeakForTheSeas]

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...rating-variations-in-shape-and_fig6_248716402

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/public...ion_of_coral-killing_sponge_Terpios_hoshinota

https://www.researchgate.net/public...e_Terpios_hoshinota_sponge_kills_stony_corals
http://zoolstud.sinica.edu.tw/Journals/51.2/150.pdf
http://miseryukyu.com/[email protected]_List_files/Reimeretal2011Terpios.pdf

 

[bushdoc]

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.


https://www.researchgate.net/public...e_Terpios_hoshinota_sponge_kills_stony_corals
http://zoolstud.sinica.edu.tw/Journals/51.2/150.pdf
http://miseryukyu.com/[email protected]_List_files/Reimeretal2011Terpios.pdf

Thanks for help, I was counting on your response.
It grows in a shade, so perhaps it is not photosyntetic one. I like biodiversity, so for now I will keep this hammerhead colony and sponge in my DT and watch carefully.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

That hammer (not hammerhead) doesn't look too good... there is no visible flesh on the "stem" of the skeleton which means it has receded for some reason.