DiscoverSpeciesOther invertebrates
Iodine Finger Sponge
Iotrochota purpurea
- Usual depth4–18 m
- Water temperature25–29 °C
- Best monthsFebruary, April, and May
- How commonRare
Photo credit: (c) Wynand Uys, some rights reserved (CC BY) · CC BY · iNaturalist
Where and when
Where it has been recorded
Worldwide
Loading the map
Best months
Worldwide (open data)
- January: 0 records
- February: 2 records
- March: 0 records
- April: 2 records
- May: 3 records
- June: 2 records
- July: 0 records
- August: 0 records
- September: 1 records
- October: 2 records
- November: 1 records
- December: 0 records
Depth and water temperature
Depth
Mostly recorded at 4–18 m · Deepest record: 30 m
Water temperature
Recorded in surface water of 25–29 °C
Names and classification
- English
- Iodine Finger Sponge, Star Sponge
Other scientific names: Chondrocladia dura, Chondrocladia ramosa, Chondrocladia sessilis, Halichondria purpurea, Spongia foveolaria
Similar species
Green Finger SpongeIotrochota birotulata
Purple-staining spongeIotrochota baculifera
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).
- 36 open-data records from 1987 to 2019.
- Species data updated November 3, 2026.
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