Marine Wildlife Encyclopedia
Breadcrumb Sponge Halichondria panicea
The appearance of the breadcrumb sponge varies from thin sheets to thick crusts and large lumps. On wave-exposed shores, it usually grows under ledges as a thin, green crust, its osculae opening at the tops of small mounds. Its green color is produced by photosynthetic pigments in symbiotic algae in the sponge’s tissues. In deeper, shaded waters, the sponge is usually a creamy yellow. In waters with strong currents, the breadcrumb sponge may cover large rocky areas and kelp stems.
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- Class Demospongiae
- Width To more than 12 in (30 cm)
- Depth Shore to sublittoral zone
- Habitat Hard surfaces
- Distribution Temperate coastal waters of northeastern Atlantic and Mediterranean
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