ORANGE PIPE SPONGE  Leucosolenia botryoides

Common Name: Orange Pipe Sponge

Scientific name: Leucosolenia botryoides

Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Porifera

Class: Calcarea

Order: Leucosoleniida

Family: Leucosoleniidae

Genus: Leucosolenia

Species: L. botryoides
 

Leucosolenia botryoides is a small calcarean sponge, which means it has a spicule made of calcium carbonate. It is soft and very delicate. It grows to only be 2 to 4 cm tall. It has at the top of its root like branches an opening called an oscula. It is whitish in color. These sponges can be found of the coasts of Brittan and Ireland. They range from the tidal pools to the subliteral zone. They attach to almost anything from rocks to kelp. Like all sponges L. botryoides filters food out of the surrounding waters. They take in water through pore cells and use collar cells to pull in digestible particles. source : http://pioneerunion.ca.schoolwebpages.com m