Australian sponge update

[PauChi]

This Aussie Sponge is actually named as White Line Sponge in Australia.

HTH,
Paul

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

you wouldn't happen to know the scientific name, would you Paul

 

[PauChi]

Gary,

Sorry ... I don't know or have the Scientific name but I sure can find that out for you ... say tomorrow AM?
Check for updates ....

Paul

 

[Namyar]

<a href=showthread.php?s=&postid=12492471#post12492471 target=_blank>Originally posted</a> by thriceanangel
Got a frag you want to trade?

LIKE HE SAID

 

[jeremym420]

Hey Gary, when i was talking about feeding them, i was refering to the zooanthids that are growing on the sponges. Sorry if i confused anyone. I'm sure the sponge also benefits from the oyster eggs. I havent tried coral frenzy on them yet, but definately will.

 

[Freed]

OK so what is the sponge in the picture that you are talking about? Is it the orange that the white zoas are growing on? Or are the white zoas growing on white sponge that is on the orange sponge? I am totally confused as to what you are referring to as sponge in the pic.

 

[jeremym420]

It is an orange sponge that has white zooanthid type polyps growing on it.

 

[PauChi]

They come like that .... Naturally!!! Kinda like a Two for One combo ... !!


Paul

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

trying to find more info on the symbiosis between these two particular animals is difficult. It appears that the Parazoanthus might be parasitic and unable to survive without a host sponge. I wonder if the sponge benefits from this relationship at all. Sponges are notorious for faring poorly in captivity and usually more difficult to feed than Parazoanthus. This is clearly a case where you'd want to tip husbandry in favor of the sponge if possible.

 

[jeremym420]

I wonder if the parazoanthus somehow protect the sponge from predators that would eat it. I'm sure those zoanthus have some sort of toxcicity to them. Idk, just a guess.

 

[Gary Majchrzak]

got any sponge eating Angelfish in the same aquarium?

 

[jeremym420]

Nope.

 

[Meisen]

I have seen it referred to as Clathria sp. sponge but I dont know if thats correct or not.

Anyway, mine seems pretty hardy and though it hasnt grown at all it does seem to be doing OK by sponge standards.

BTW I dont think the Zoas are parasitic in the sense that they eat the sponge, just in that they live on it and overgrow it. Probably little benefit to killing it completely though one would think.

 

[Kreeger1]

They feed off the sponge from what I've read
Erik

 

[Kent E]

If that's true, I would think there would be no sponge left?

 

[Kreeger1]

The sponge does slowly go away.

 

[Meisen]

I dont think that the sponge slowly disappearing necessesarily means its being eaten by the palys, I think it b/c it slowly starves in most aquariums. But I dont know for sure. How would the parazoanthus eat it though?

 

[Kreeger1]

.

 

[Kreeger1]

When I get a chance, I'll dig up the info for you. They both need each other to live. Thats why you'll never see one and not the other. The sponge needs the para zoo as protection and the para zoo needs something the sponge produces

 

[Meisen]

So mutalism not parasitism? I am interested to hear more. I know there are some Carribean sponge/parazoanthus species that are mutalistic as well.