Wildlife of The Solway Firth [95] The Breadcrumb Sponge
Wildlife of The Solway Firth [95]
The Breadcrumb Sponge
Halichondria Panicea
by Mark Vollers
The Solway Firth has remarkable biodiversity and this includes numerous species of invertebrates we call sponges.
One of these is the Breadcrumb Sponge which colonises rocky surfaces from extreme low water mark down to 550m and may be found throughout the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean.
Locally, on Maryport scaurs – on extreme low water of Spring tides – they can sometimes be found as greeny-brown encrustations of varying interesting-looking shapes, in doing so, also providing homes for other small animals. Where they are sheltered from wave action, they can extend outward for several inches. In exposed places they are much less sculptured, becoming smoother – in fact their varying colour and shape has led to this sponge being described as a new species 56 times!
These sponges are in fact complex multicellular animals with cells that have specialist function but not at the level of organs. They work together to form sometimes very visible siphons to draw water through the encrusting colony, allowing internal filtration of organic food particles.
Their sometimes-bright green colour in shallow water is the result of a symbiotic algae in the outermost sponge cells, this relationship provides a home for the algae and extra nutrients for the sponge.
“Their varying colour and shape has led to this sponge being described as a new species 56 times!”
The Henricia starfish in the picture is enjoying a meal of sponge. In years that the sponge is prolific, large numbers of these colourful starfish can be attracted onto the Maryport scaurs.
The reproduction processes of the Breadcrumb Sponge are not known in detail, but fragmentation of the main body is one way, use of free swimming larvae to reach new areas is another.
Visit the Lake District Coast Aquarium facebook page to learn more about amazing wildlife on the Solway Coast.
www.facebook.com/maryport.aquarium
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