Spirastrella coccinea

Spirastrella coccinea is a sponge that inhabits the tropical western Atlantic Ocean, including the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico. It forms thin layers, less than 10 mm in thickness, and can cover areas as large as a square meter. The sponge has a smooth, leathery texture and displays a red color on its surface, while the interior can be brownish-red or orange. In shallower waters, it tends to be orangish-red, whereas in deeper waters, it may appear red or pink, sometimes with white specks near the oscula. The oscula, which are small openings through which water exits the sponge, are often slightly elevated and surrounded by transparent, star-shaped canals. These oscula can measure up to 2 mm in diameter. Spirastrella coccinea is typically found on hard surfaces, coral reefs, and among coral rubble, and it can also be located in submarine caves and around mangrove roots. This species is sessile and cryptic, often blending into its environment. It reproduces as a hermaphroditic organism, with its life cycle involving a free-swimming larval stage that eventually settles on a substrate to grow into a mature sponge. Although its conservation status has not been evaluated, it is considered rare in its natural habitat.