Redbeard Sponge

Microciona prolifera

The redbeard sponge has thick, intertwining branches that vary in color from bright red to orange.

• The sponge's surface is covered with small, scattered pores called oscula and ostia.
• Redbeard sponges can grow to about 8 inches tall and a foot wide.

Where does the redbeard sponge live?

Redbeard sponges grow in thick clumps on piers and pilings in shallow, protected waters near the shore and shallows of the middle and lower Bay. They can also live in deeper waters, where they grow on wrecks, oyster reefs and other hard surfaces.

View this video of a redbeard sponge growing in the Bay:

What does the redbeard sponge eat?

Redbeard sponges feed by:

• Drawing water and food particles through the ostia into chambers that have beating, hair-like flagella.
• The current created by the beating flagella drives water and waste products through a system of canals and out the sponge's oscula.

How does the redbeard sponge reproduce?

Redbeard sponges can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Asexual reproduction takes place when branches are damaged or broken off and the broken fragments regenerate or bud into complete sponges.

Sexual reproduction occurs when:

• One sponge releases clouds of sperm into the water.
• The sperm is carried to another sponge, and eggs are fertilized internally.
• The fertilized eggs are then released into the water, where they develop into larvae.
• Larvae fall to the bottom and search for a suitable surface to settle on. Once they attach themselves, they metamorphose into juvenile sponges.

Young redbeard sponges are usually flat, rather than thick and branching. However, they have the same bright coloring as adults.

Other facts about the redbeard sponge:

• The redbeard sponge is the most common sponge in the Bay.
• Redbeard sponges must have a constant supply of water to function.
• The numerous nooks and crannies within sponges are habitat for shrimp, worms, crabs and other small Bay creatures.