# List of sponges of Venezuela

The sponges of Venezuela are a part of the Porifera fauna of Venezuela (which is part of the wildlife of Venezuela).
A number of species of sponges are found in the wild in Venezuela.
This is a partial list of the marine and freshwater sponges of Venezuela. The families are listed alphabetically within the classes.

## Statistics

| Environment | Nº of Families | Nº of Genera | Nº of Species |
| Marine species | 39 | 54 | 100 |
| Freshwater species | 3 | 10 | 17 |
| Total | 42 | 64 | 117 |

## Marine sponges

Family Acarnidae
* Acarnus
Family Adociidae
* Sigmadocia caerulea Hechtel 1965
Family Aplysinidae
* Aplysina archeri (Higgin, 1875)
* Aplysina caissara Pinheiro & Hajdu, 2001
* Aplysina cauliformis (Carter, 1882)
* Aplysina fistularis (Pallas, 1766)
* Aplysina fulva (Pallas, 1766)
* Aplysina lacunosa (Lamarck, 1814)
Family Callyspongiidae
* Callyspongia arcesiosa Laubenfels, 1936
* Callyspongia vaginalis (Lamarck, 1814)
Family Chalinidae
* Chalinula molitba (Laubenfels, 1949)
Family Chondrillidae
* Chondrilla caribensis Rützler, Duran & Piantoni, 2007
* Chondrilla nucula Smithdt 1862
Family Clionidae
* Cliona raphida Boury-Esnault, 1973
* Cliona varians (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)
Family Coelosphaeridae
* Lissodendoryx
Family Crambeidae
* Monanchora arbuscula (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)
Family Darwinellidae
* Aplysilla glacialis (Merejkowski, 1878)
* Chelonaplysilla erecta Tsurnamal, 1967
* Darwinella rosacea Hechtel, 1965
Family Desmacididae
* Desmapsamma anchorata (Carter, 1882)
Family Desmacidonidae
* Liosina monticulosa (Verrill, 1907)
Family Dysidea
* Dysidea etheria Laubenfels, 1936
Family Dictyonellidae
* Scopalina ruetzleri (Wiedenmayer, 1977)
Family Dysideidae
* Dysidea etheria Laubenfels, 1936
Family Geodiidae
* Geodia gibberosa Lamarck, 1815
* Geodia papyracea Hechtel, 1965
Family Grantiidae
* Leucandra aspera (Schmidt, 1862)
Family Halichondriidae
* Anthosigmella varians (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)
* Halichondria magniculosa Hechtel
* Halichondria melanadocia Laubenfels, 1936
* Topsentia ophiraphidites (Laubenfels, 1934)
Family Halicloniidae
* Haliclona caerulea (Hechtel, 1965)
* Haliclona crassiloba Laubenfels, 1950
* Haliclona curacaoensis (van Soest, 1980)
* Haliclona doria Laubenfels, 1936
* Haliclona implexiformis (Hechtel, 1965)
* Haliclona magnifica de Weerdt, Rützler & Smith, 1991
* Haliclona manglaris Alcolado, 1984
* Haliclona permollis (Bowerbank, 1866)
* Haliclona picadaerensis
* Haliclona tubifera (George & Wilson, 1919)
* Haliclona twincayensis de Weerdt, Rützler & Smith, 1991
* Haliclona viridis (Keller, 1889)
* Niphastes variabilis Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864
Family Halisarcidae
* Halisarca
Family Heteroxyidae
* Myrmekioderma rea (de Laubenfels, 1934)
Family Hymedesmiidae
* Phorbas amaranthus Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864
Family Iotrochotidae
* Iotrochota birotulata (Higgin, 1877)
Family Irciniidae
* Irsinia fasciculata (Pallas, 1766)
* Ircinia felix (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)
* Irsinia strobilina (Lamarck, 1816)
Family Microcionidae
* Artemisina melana van Soest, 1984
* Clathria ferrea (de Laubenfels, 1936)
* Clathria venosa Hooper, 1996
* Clathria microchela (Stephens, 1916)
* Clathria schoenus (Laubenfels, 1936)
* Clathria venosa (Alcolado, 1984)
* Microciona
* Pandaros acanthifolium Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864
Family Mycalidae
* Ulosa hispida Hechtel, 1965
* Mycale americana van Soest, 1984
* Mycale angulosa (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)
* Mycale carmigropila Hajdu & Rützler, 1998
* Mycale citrina Hajdu & Rützler, 1998
* Mycale laxissima (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)
* Mycale magnirhaphidifera van Soest, 1984
* Mycale microsigmatosa Arndt, 1927
Family Niphatidae
* Amphimedon compressa Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864
* Amphimedon viridis Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864
* Gelliodes ramosa Kieschnick, 1898
* Neopetrosia subtriangularis (Duchassaing, 1850)
* Niphates erecta Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864
Family Ophlitaspongiidae
* Biemna caribea Pulitzer-Finali, 1986
* Biemna microstyla Laubenfels, 1950
* Desmacella jania Verrill, 1907
* Desmacella meliorata Wiedenmayer, 1977
Family Petrosiidae
* Neopetrosia subtriangularis (Duchassaing, 1850)
Family Phloeodictyidae
* Oceanapia nodosa (George & Wilson, 1919)
Family Placospongiidae
* Placospongia intermedia Sollas, 1888
Family Spirastrellidae
* Desmacella jania
Family Spongiidae
* Spongia pertusa Hyatt, 1877
* Spongia officinalis Linnaeus, 1759
* Spongia tubulifera Lamarck, 1814
* Spongia zimocca Schmidt, 1862
Family Suberitidae
* Prosuberites laughlini (Díaz, Álvarez & van Soest, 1987)
* Suberites aurantiacus (Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864)
* Terpios fugax Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864
* Terpios zeteki Laubenfels 1936
* Terpios manglaris Rützler & Smith, 1993
Family Sycettidae
* Sycon
Family Tethyidae
* Tethya actinia de Laubenfels, 1950
* Tethya seychellensis (Wright, 1881)
Family Tedaniide
* Tedania ignis (Duchassaing & Michelotti 1864)
* Lissodendoryx isodictyalis (Carter, 1882)
Family Tetillidae
* Cinachyrella apion (Uliczka, 1929)
* Cinachyrella kuekenthali (Uliczka, 1929)
* Cinachyrella tarentina (Pulitzer-Finali, 1983)
Family Thorectidae
* Hyrtios proteus Duchassaing & Michelotti, 1864
* Hyrtios violaceus (Duchassaing & Michelotti 1864)

## Freshwater sponges

Family Metaniidae
* Acalle recurvata (Bowerbank, 1863)
* Drulia browni (Bowerbank, 1863)
* Drulia conifera Boneto & Ezcurra de Drago, 1973
* Drulia cristata (Weltner, 1895)
* Drulia uruguayensis Boneto & Ezcurra de Drago, 1968
* Metania reticulata (Bowerbank, 1863)
Family Potamolepidae
* Onosclera intermedia (Boneto & Ezcurra de Drago, 1973)
* Onosclera navicella (Carter, 1881)
* Onosclera spinifera (Boneto & Ezcurra de Drago, 1973)
* Uruguaya corallioides (Bowerbank, 1863)
Family Spongillidae
* Corvoheteromeyenia heterosclera (Ezcurra de drago, 1974)
* Saturnospongilla carvalhoi Volkmer-Rivero, 1976
* Spongilla alba Carter, 1849
* Pottsiela spoliata Volkmer-Rivero & Maciel, 1983
* Trochospongilla gregaria (Bowerbank, 1863)
* Trochospongilla minuta (Postt, 1887)
* Trochospongilla paulula (Bowerbank, 1863)