Barrel Sponge

ID points

• A huge barrel-shaped body with a deep central opening
• Rough surface covered in ridge-like bumps
• Can live over a thousand years, called the redwood of the reef

Basics

Family

Petrosiidae

Length

50–180 cm

Depth

10-120 m

Regions

Indo-Pacific reefs · Caribbean & W. Atlantic

Distribution

Reefs of the Caribbean and the Indo-Pacific

Habitat

Coral reef slopes

Diet

Filters bacteria and organic particles

Easily confused with

Brain CoralDome-shaped colony with winding grooves like a brainCushion StarArms completely reduced, the whole animal like a five-cornered bunStaghorn CoralBranches spread up and out like stag antlers

Fun fact

One of the largest sponges of all. A full-grown barrel is roomy enough for an adult to sit inside, and it can live for hundreds or even thousands of years, making it the true elder of the reef.