The boring sponge is a thick, bright yellow sponge that bores holes into its host for shelter. (Bernard Picton/Encyclopedia of Marine Life of Britain and Ireland)
The boring sponge is a thick, bright yellow sponge that grows on oyster reefs throughout the Chesapeake Bay.
Appearance:
Bright yellow
Thick, encrusting form
Small pores
Can grow to several square feet
Habitat:
Grows on oysters reefs and other mollusk colonies
Bores holes into oyster shells to find shelter inside the oysters
Range:
Found throughout the Chesapeake Bay
May overwhelm some areas, but not be present in other areas
Feeding:
Filter feeder
Draws in water through tiny pores and filters out plankton and other food particles
Reproduction and Life Cycle:
Reproduces both sexually and asexually
Asexual reproduction takes place when a fragment breaks off an adult sponge and buds into a new sponge. A sponge may also produce clusters of cells in autumn that develop into new sponges in spring.
During sexual reproduction, eggs are fertilized within the sponge. Free-swimming larvae eventually settle to the bottom, where they find a hard surface to attach themselves to.
Other Facts:
Gets its name from its habit of boring holes into oyster shells. This weakens the shells and eventually kills the oyster.
If you find an empty shell covered with pockmarks, it means that animal was once infested by a boring sponge
