The giant barrel sponge (Xestospongia muta) is the largest species of sponge found growing on Caribbean coral reefs. It is common at depths greater than 10 metres (33 ft) down to 120 metres (390 ft) and can reach a diameter of 1.8 metres (6 feet).

The Giant Barrel Sponge, known scientifically as Xestospongia muta, is a marine species found in the Atlantic Ocean’s tropical areas. It is one of the most commonly found sponges on the Coral reefs in the Caribbean region.

Reaching sizes of at least 6 feet (1.8 m) across, this is one of the largest sponge species wherever it lives. Its bowl-shaped body (open at the top, closed at the base) provides habitat for many other species of invertebrates (including crabs and shrimps) and fishes (including gobies, cardinalfishes, and other species).

The giant barrel sponge (Xestospongia muta) is the largest species of sponge found growing on Caribbean coral reefs. It is common at depths greater than 10 metres (33 ft) down to 120 metres (390 ft) and can reach a diameter of 1.8 metres (6 feet).

Aug 1, 2021 · The giant barrel sponge (Xestospongia muta) is the Caribbean’s most iconic massive reef invertebrate and can be found throughout the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. It is reddish and brown in color and a particularly interesting species on Conch Reef in the Florida Keys, where it has been studied and monitored since 1997. 1

Jan 15, 2021 · Giant barrel sponges (Xestospongia muta) are the largest sponges found in the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico, most commonly on coral reefs. Their large size and incredibly long lifespan earned them the nickname, “redwood of the reef”.

The giant barrel sponge, as the name suggests, is soft and barrel-shaped with a wall that can be up to 2.5 cm thick at the top, increasing in thickness to the base. Smaller sponges are cone-shaped. The cavity only spans the top half of the structure.

The oldest giant barrel sponge found off the coast of Venezuela and estimated to be 2300 years old died from SOB in only a few weeks. The cause of SOB is unknown, but evidence suggests that it is a result of a change in environmental factors, particularly rising water temperatures.

Giant barrel sponges are filter feeders, and consume microorganisms from the water around them that they pump through their bodies. The sponges have special cells along their inner cavities called choanocytes, which work to facilitate the movement of water and the capture of food from it.

Xestospongia testudinaria is a species of barrel sponge in the family Petrosiidae. More commonly known as Giant Barrel Sponges, they have the basic structure of a typical sponge. Their body is made of a reticulation of cells aggregate on a siliceous scaffold composed of …