Puffball Sponge

Oceanapia sagittaria

Puffball sponge belongs to the family Phloeodictyidae and is part of the order Haplosclerida. This sponge is sessile, meaning it remains attached to a substrate throughout its life. It is found primarily in the Western Central Pacific, thriving in tropical marine environments. Divers can encounter this sponge at depths ranging from the surface down to 73 meters. As a filter-feeder, the Puffball sponge plays a crucial role in its ecosystem by filtering water to extract its food. This process involves drawing in water through its porous body, trapping plankton and other small particles for nourishment. The sponge's life cycle includes a free-swimming larval stage known as the parenchymella, which eventually settles on a suitable substrate to grow into a mature sponge. Members of its class, Demospongiae, are hermaphroditic, possessing both male and female reproductive organs. Divers exploring regions where the Puffball sponge is present may find it attached to various substrates, contributing to the underwater landscape's diversity. Although it is not evaluated by the IUCN Red List, this sponge is considered harmless to humans and does not have any known threats.