Boring Sponge
Cliona spp.
The boring sponge is a thick, bright yellow sponge that grows on oyster reefs throughout the Chesapeake Bay.
Appearance
The boring spong is bright yellow with small pores and a thick, encrusting form. It can grow to an area of several square feet.
Feeding
Boring sponges are filter feeders that draws in water through their tiny pores, filtering out plankton and other food particles.
Reproduction and Life Cycle
These sponges reproduce 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.
Did You Know?
- The boring sponge 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 likely means that animal was once infested by a boring sponge.
- Boring sponges are a major pest to Bay oysters.
Sources and Additional Information
- Life in the Chesapeake Bay by Alice Jane Lippson and Robert L. Lippson
- Chesapeake Bay: Nature of the Estuary, A Field Guide by Christopher P. White
- Cliona celata: Boring sponge - The Marine Life Information Network
- Marine Life Series: Boring Sponges – DailyKos