ashy horny sponge

Haliclona (Reniera) cinerea

Other invertebrates
IUCN: Not evaluated

Usual depth3–30 m
Water temperature-1–27 °C
Best monthsJuly, August, and September
How commonOccasional

All species

Where and when

Where it has been recorded

Worldwide

Loading the map

Best months

Worldwide (open data)

January: 16 records
February: 13 records
March: 32 records
April: 53 records
May: 83 records
June: 83 records
July: 88 records
August: 111 records
September: 94 records
October: 42 records
November: 15 records
December: 7 records

Depth and water temperature

Depth

Mostly recorded at 3–30 m · Deepest record: 1,097 m

0–10 m: 138 records
10–20 m: 103 records
20–30 m: 87 records
30–40 m: 17 records
40–50 m: 8 records
50–60 m: 7 records
60–70 m: 8 records
70–80 m: 0 records
80–90 m: 0 records
90–100 m: 0 records
100–110 m: 0 records
110+ m: 1 records

Water temperature

Recorded in surface water of -1–27 °C

-2–0 °C: 1 records
0–2 °C: 0 records
2–4 °C: 0 records
4–6 °C: 0 records
6–8 °C: 5 records
8–10 °C: 55 records
10–12 °C: 207 records
12–14 °C: 234 records
14–16 °C: 14 records
16–18 °C: 20 records
18–20 °C: 98 records
20–22 °C: 20 records
22–24 °C: 22 records
24–26 °C: 3 records
26–28 °C: 1 records

Names and classification

English: ashy horny sponge, mudflat sponge, purple encrusting sponge, purple sponge, railway scyphe, redbeard sponge

Names in 3 more languages

German: Lila Schwamm, Röhrenschwamm, Wattschwamm
French: chaline cendrée, éponge cendrée
Japanese: ハイイロカワナシカイメン, ムラサキカイメン

Other scientific names: Adocia cinerea, Chalina flemingii, Chalina montaguii, Chalinula montagui, Halichondria cinerea, Halichondria montaguii, Haliclona (Haliclona) cinerea, Haliclona (Reniera) bowerbanki, Haliclona cancellata, Haliclona cinerea, Haliclona elegans, Haliclona montagui, Haliclona peachii, Haliclona permollis, Isodictya bowerbanki, Isodictya cinerea, Isodictya dichotoma, Isodictya elegans, Isodictya filamenta, Isodictya mammeata, Isodictya peachii, Isodictya permollis, Isodictya ramusculus, Isodictya simulo, Isodictya varians, Pachychalina montaguii, Philotia varians, Reniclona permollis, Reniera bowerbanki, Reniera cinerea

Similar species

Blue Caribbean sponge
Haliclona (Soestella) caerulea
Haliclona acoroides
Haliclona koremella
Haliclona tyria
Haliclona venustina
Haliclona cavernosa

Sources and credits

Names and taxonomy: WoRMS (CC BY 4.0) and the GBIF Backbone (CC BY 4.0). Photos: iNaturalist observers, each under the licence shown (CC0, CC BY or CC BY-SA).

Depth, temperature, months and maps: records from OBIS and GBIF under CC0 or CC BY.
Conservation status as published by GBIF (IUCN Red List).
1,056 open-data records from 1866 to 2024.
Species data updated November 3, 2026.

Log what you see on your next dive

The free DiveHive diver app keeps your logbook with every sighting and shows what lives at the site you dive next.

Join the waitlist