Calcareous sponge

The calcareous sponges of class Calcarea are members of the animal phylum Porifera, the cellular sponges. They are characterized by spicules made out of calcium carbonate.

Calcareous sponges
"Calcispongiae" from Ernst Haeckel's Kunstformen der Natur, 1904
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Animalia
Phylum:	Porifera Bowerbank, 1817
Class:	Calcarea
Orders
Subclass Calcinea Clathrinida Leucettida Murrayonida Subclass Calcaronea Baerida Leucosolenida Lithonida Sycettida

Typically, the Calcarea are very small, measuring about 7-10 cm (3-4 inches) in height. Of the 15,000 or so species of Porifera that exist, only 400 of those are Calcareans.

Calcareous Sponge Media

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  Clathrina clathrus (order Clathrinida)

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  Clathrina lacunosa (order Clathrinida)

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  Leucetta chagosensis (order Clathrinida)

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  Leucetta primigenia (order Clathrinida)

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  Leucosolenia botryoides (order Leucosolenida)

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  Leucandra losangelensis (order Leucosolenida)

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  Sycon ciliatum (order Leucosolenida)

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  Leucilla nuttingi (order Leucosolenida)

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  Unidentified calcarean fossil (with encrusting crinoid) from the Jurassic of Israel

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  †Peronidella fossil (order †Stellispongiida) from the Jurassic of Israel