Sponges Under Langstone Bridge

Various sponges can be found, including the Sea Orange, Suberites ficus, pictured below left. On the right is thought to be Adocia cinerea. Some tiny Light-bulb sea squirts were developing on the left side of the picture on 1st May.

Sea Orange, a sponge Adocia cinerea
An encrusting red sponge Hymeniacidon perleve
Other sponges form encrusting sheets. The bright red one is found on the base of some of the pillars. Much more widespread is the orange sponge, Hymeniacidon perleve.
A variety of life
On the left are some more sponges growing amongst red, green and brown seaweeds in early summer. By late summer the seaweeds have grown up and hidden the smaller life. The large white tubes are sponges, possibly the same as the pink species above, while the finely divided white group is probably a different sponge. The fine branching structures (lower left) are hydroids. A chiton is nearly half way up on the right edge, rather out of focus.

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