Invertebrate · GBIF taxon 2239280
Yellow Tube Sponge
Aplysina fistularisAlso known as Yellow Sponge
Yellow tube sponges are prominent Caribbean reef-builders that constantly pump massive volumes of seawater through their tubular bodies to filter out microscopic plankton and bacteria. When exposed to air or subjected to physical injury, their vibrant golden tissue oxidizes rapidly, shifting into a dramatic dark purple or black. They produce an array of potent brominated chemical compounds to defend against microbial infections, encrusting competitors, and opportunistic fish.
Reef-dwellerFilter FeederMarine
—observations
—countries
—peak records
Not EvaluatedConservation statusIUCN Red List categoriesLCNTVUENCREWEXNot Evaluated — not placed on the risk ladderRed List categories, explained →
Diet & prey
- Marine bacteria
- Phytoplankton
- Dissolved organic matter
Predators
- Hawksbill Sea Turtle
- French Angelfish
- Rock Beauty
ThreatsOcean warming, sedimentation, anchor damage, and sponge-bleaching syndromes
HabitatsCoral reefs, drop-offs, and open hardbottom marine environments
Life span10–50+ years
Size / weightNot available
Classification
- FamilyAplysinidae
- SpeciesAplysina fistularis
Range data is not available yet.
Interaction riskLow
- Low
- Moderate
- High
- Very high
- Why interaction risk is low
- Safe to observe at a normal distance.
Responsible observation
- Buoyancy Control: Maintain neutral buoyancy while diving to avoid snapping the brittle tubular structures with stray fins.
- Look Inside: Shine a dive light down the open osculum to spot tiny commensal gobies, brittle stars, or snapping shrimp living inside.
Image unavailableSame Genus 
Frequent Companion (c) NOAA Photo Library, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
Predator "Hawksbill Turtle" by Tchami is licensed under CC BY-SA 2.0. To view a copy of this license, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/. · cc-by-sa
Predator (c) LASZLO ILYES, some rights reserved (CC BY) · cc-by
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