sponges text index | photo index
Phylum Porifera
Black antler sponge
Haliclona
sp.*
Family Chalinidae
updated Oct 2016
Where seen? This black sponge that resembles antles is sometimes seen on our Northern shores, growing on hard surfaces, including pipes and abandoned drums near the mid-water mark.

Features:
Sparsely branching 'stems' (up to 20cm long) that are cylindrical thick (about 3-4cm in diameter) with a smooth surface. Some branches taper to elegant points. Also with low knobs. Holes at the top of knobs, and along the length of the 'stems'. Colour usually a deep black, but when exposed out of water may be greyish.

Changi, Jul 07

Pulau Sekudu, Aug 05

Changi, Jul 10

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

Black antler sponges on Singapore shores
On wildsingapore flickr

Other sightings on Singapore shores


Pasir Ris Park, Jan 26
Photo shared by Loh Kok Sheng on facebook.

Pulau Semakau South, Feb 16
Photo shared by Heng Pei Yan on facebook.
 

Links

  • Haliclona on SeaLife Base: technical fact sheet.
  • Haliclona on the World Porifera Database.

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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