Sponges

Endemic

The mustard yellow sponge, Svenzea weberorum, is very common in the shallow waters around Ascension and is eaten by turtles.

Endemic 

Pale green, thickly encrusting sponge forming a low mound on bedrock. Has lace like appearance due to gaps present. 

Endemic

The beautiful bright orange-red thinly encrusting (up to 1 cm thick) sponge is abundant on volcanic bedrock and can be found in up to 10cm diameter patches. Most common in shallow water around northern, and western Ascension Island. 

Endemic

Sponge is white but has pink patches (or in some cases is entirely pink) due to symbiotic algae. Encrusting sponge forms patches or low mounds and often in caves. Name after Jolene Sim and family who have contributed a huge amount to Ascension Island Conservation

Endemic

Large black sponge forming massively encrusting lobes up to 50 cm in length and 20 cm high.

Endemic

This reddish-brown encrusting sponge forms massive (up to 1 metre in length) lobes. 

Endemic

A smooth beige sponge forming encrusting patches. Found in rocky environments north of Ascension.

Endemic

Small white lobe around 4 cm in length. Smooth surface with a single oscule on its apex.

Endemic

Light grey with patches of darker grey. It has prominent, slightly raised, oscules irregularly scattered over its surface. It forms a large patch up to 20 cm in diameter and 5 cm thick. 

Grey encrusting sponge. 

Light grey to black in colour, 

Grey to whiteish colour, its bumpy surface earned it the nickname goosebump sponge.

Endemic

Thin pink encrusting sponge, found coating shells.

Found thinly encrusting on corals only 3mm thick. Can be red, orange or yellow. 

Red, red-brown, orange or yellow, forms crusts on rocks, shells and barnacles. Size varies from small patches of several mm to large crusts of up to 3 × 4 cm, thickness less than 1 mm. 

Reddish  purple-brown, rounded masses developing into tubes  in larger specimens. 

Thin crust on volcanic rock, smooth texture and  beige colour. Size approximately 2 × 1 cm.

A Red thinly encrusting sponge with smooth surface. Typically grows on shells and coral.

Bright yellow sponge with lace like appearance.

Yellow or white sponge typically cushion shaped. Looks like a tangled mass of tubes. 

Forms flat cushions 0.5-3cm diameter, bright to pale yellow in colour. Tight knit of tubes. 

Commonly known as the white encrusting sponge, eaten by turtles. Large, dense sponge can be white or pale tan when exposed to very little light, or dark brown in areas with a lot of it. It is usually in the form of a knobby, fist-like mass, often up to 50 cm in diameter

This encrusting coral is 0.2 - 5 cm thick; soft and fragile. Colour variable, from reddish orange to grey. Distinctive bright orange specks scattered throughout the surface