AnimalTracks.wiki

What the sources say

Giant Barrel SpongeXestospongia muta

Every figure, record and mechanism on the Giant Barrel Sponge profile was written from a source, and this is the working table behind it: 44 claims checked word for word against these sources. The left column is what the page says. The right column is the source's own words, copied, not paraphrased; a ... marks a cut and[brackets] an insertion. Open any source and check it yourself.

Profile updated

Source
01

Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan

Xestospongia muta (giant barrel sponge). Animal Diversity Web, University of Michigan.

The page saysa pump-feeding barrel that may top a meter
The source saysthey may reach great sizes, over 1 m tallNote: tagline; hedge "may" from the quote.
The page saysThe "redwood of the reef"
The source sayscalled “redwoods of the reef” by someNote: tagline
The page saysTropical Atlantic coral reefs, from Florida and the Caribbean to Central America and Venezuela
The source saysfound in tropical areas of the Atlantic Ocean. They are found in highest concentrations in coral reefs off the coasts of Florida, in the Gulf of Florida, off the coast of Central America, and the Caribbean, including around the Bahamas and Greater Antilles. They are found as far south as Venezuela.Note: stats.habitat
The page saysBacteria-sized food particles filtered from seawater
The source saysChoanocytes lining the inner chambers of the sponge filter out bacteria-sized food particles.Note: stats.diet
The page saysCan filter up to 50,000 times its own volume of seawater every day
The source saysAn individual may filter up to 50,000 times its own volume of water every day.Note: stats.superpower
The page saysNot Evaluated
The source saysgiant barrel sponges have not been evaluated by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural ResourcesNote: stats.conservationStatus. GBIF's Red List copy holds no category for Xestospongia muta and the prefetch found no assessment DOI, so no IUCN reference is cited. Precedent great-scallop, moon-jellyfish.
The page saysThe IUCN Red List has not evaluated it.
The source saysgiant barrel sponges have not been evaluated by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature and Natural ResourcesNote: Same as stats line.
The page saysSome people call the giant barrel sponge the "redwood of the reef"
The source sayscalled “redwoods of the reef” by some
The page saysIt may grow over 1 meter (about 3 feet) tall
The source saysthey may reach great sizes, over 1 m tallNote: 3 feet from 1 m
The page sayswith a mass that exceeds most other benthic invertebrates
The source sayswith masses that exceed most other benthic invertebrates
The page saysThat is science-speak for animals without backbones that live on the sea floor.
The source saysReferring to an animal that lives on or near the bottom of a body of water.Note: Definition: ADW glossary for 'benthic' (bottom of a body of water). 'Invertebrates' as animals without backbones is the standard meaning and needs no figure.
The page saysIts age is estimated with growth models
The source saysrecent research using the Tanaka indeterminate growth model to estimate the age of several individualsNote: Method only, no figure.
The page saysA sponge is an animal with no nervous system
The source saysSponges have no nervous system and there are no known direct communication methods between individuals.
The page saysa giant barrel sponge stays in one spot
The source saysSponges are sessile animals.
The page saysIt feeds by pumping seawater through its body.
The source saysFlagellated choanocytes line the inner chamber and help generate water currents through the sponge. They also filter out food particles
The page saysWater enters through tiny pores
The source saysWater is taken into the inner chamber of the sponge (known as the spongocoel) through ostia (small pores created by porocytes).
The page sayschambers lined with cells called choanocytes, which have whip-like tails that help drive the water and filter out food
The source saysFlagellated choanocytes line the inner chamber and help generate water currents through the sponge. They also filter out food particlesNote: 'whip-like tails' glosses 'flagellated' (flagellum = whip-like tail); no extra detail.
The page saysThen it leaves through a hole at the top called the osculum.
The source saysWater exits the sponge through the osculum, a hole at the top of the spongocoel.
The page saysOne sponge may filter up to 50,000 times its own volume of water every day
The source saysAn individual may filter up to 50,000 times its own volume of water every day.
The page sayscatching food particles about the size of bacteria
The source saysChoanocytes lining the inner chambers of the sponge filter out bacteria-sized food particles.
The page saysIts color, anywhere from salmon pink to purple, comes from cyanobacteria that live inside it as symbionts, meaning partners.
The source saysThese sponges range in color from salmon pink to purple due to the presence of cyanobacteria symbiontsNote: "symbionts, meaning partners" is a gloss of the term.
The page saysStuck in one spot
The source saysSponges are sessile animals.
The page saysthe sponge protects itself from fish mainly with chemical defenses.
The source saysThese animals primarily protect themselves from fish predation by chemical defenses
The page saysIn the Florida Keys it is also defended with spicules, microscopic glass-like rods.
The source saysIn the Florida Keys, giant barrel sponges are synergistically defended with microscopic glass-like rods called spicules.
The page saysGiant barrel sponges spawn together: neighbors release eggs and sperm in one synchronized event.
The source saysReproduction occurs during a synchronized spawning event in which a group of localized individuals release sperm and eggs.
The page saysIn one study, spawning came on the ninth night after a full moon.
The source saysone study noted giant barrel sponges spawning during the ninth night following a full moon.
The page saysIn one event that was observed, eggs and sperm were released for about an hour.
The source saysIn one observed spawning event, eggs and sperm were released for approximately an hour.
The page saysThe sponges live on tropical Atlantic reefs, with the highest concentrations off Florida, Central America and the Caribbean.
The source saysfound in tropical areas of the Atlantic Ocean. They are found in highest concentrations in coral reefs off the coasts of Florida, in the Gulf of Florida, off the coast of Central America, and the Caribbean
The page saysAnimal Diversity Web gives a depth range of 10 to 30 meters (about 33 to 98 feet), on tropical coral reefs.
The source saysliving at depths from 10-30 mNote: FAQ; page gives 32.81 to 98.43 ft
The page saysIts known predators are fishes, turtles, nudibranchs (sea slugs) and echinoids, a group that includes sea urchins.
The source saysThe predators of giant barrel sponges are fishes, turtles, nudibranchs, and echinoids.Note: Glosses: nudibranch = sea slug; echinoids include sea urchins (standard taxonomy; ADW lists 'Echinoderms' under known predators).
The page saysRedwoods live a long time, and so does this sponge.
The source saysthey are also extremely long lived
The page saysArmor for an animal that cannot run
The source saysSponges are sessile animals.
The page saysTimed by the moon
The source saysone study noted giant barrel sponges spawning during the ninth night following a full moon.
The page saysA giant barrel sponge stays in one spot and may filter up to 50,000 times its own volume of water every day.
The source saysAn individual may filter up to 50,000 times its own volume of water every day.Note: vibe.reason; restates body claims (this quote, plus the body claims for the rest of the sentence)

Source
02

Fiore, Baker & Lesser 2013

Fiore, Baker & Lesser (2013). Nitrogen Biogeochemistry in the Caribbean Sponge, Xestospongia muta: A Source or Sink of Dissolved Inorganic Nitrogen? PLoS ONE.

The page saysthe masses calculated for the sponges ran from 7.4 to 68.2 kilograms (about 16 to 150 pounds)
The source saysFL 33 111 68.2 21938 ... LC 5 12 7.4 2649Note: Table 1, Mass (kg) column of 18 sponges: highest 68.2 (FL), lowest 7.4 (LC); 16 and 150 lb from 7.4 and 68.2 kg. Masses are calculated from volume and density, not weighed.
The page saysmasses calculated
The source saysThe mass (kg) of individual sponges was then calculated by multiplying the individual total sponge volume (l), obtained as described above, by the average density of X. muta sponges (0.617 g cm −3 )Note: Basis of the calculated masses.

Source
03

Dunlap & Pawlik 1998

Dunlap & Pawlik (1998). Spongivory by Parrotfish in Florida Mangrove and Reef Habitats. Marine Ecology.

The page saysAcross 10 hours of video, parrotfish took 45 bites from normally colored giant barrel sponges and 527 bites from four bleached ones.
The source saysA total of 10 h of video recording captured 45 bites on normally coloured X. muta and 527 bites on four bleached X. muta by the parrotfish
The page saysBleached and bitten
The source says527 bites on four bleached X. muta

Source
04

McMurray, Henkel & Pawlik 2010

McMurray, Henkel & Pawlik (2010). Demographics of increasing populations of the giant barrel sponge Xestospongia muta in the Florida Keys. Ecology.

The page saysOn Conch Reef off Key Largo, Florida, densities in 2006 ranged from 0.134 to 0.277 sponges per square meter
The source saysIn 2006, densities of X. muta on Conch Reef ranged from 0.134 to 0.277 sponges/m2

Source
05

McMurray et al. 2011

McMurray et al. (2011). Bleaching of the giant barrel sponge Xestospongia muta in the Florida Keys. Limnology and Oceanography.

The page saysa 2011 study called it the dominant habitat-forming organism on many Caribbean coral reefs
The source saysis now the dominant habitat‐forming organism on many Caribbean coral reefsNote: Attributed to its year rather than stated as a current state.
The page saysNot in a six-year survey on Conch Reef off Key Largo, Florida: the researchers found that bleaching did not result in sponge mortality.
The source saysWe examined bleaching of X. muta at 15‐m, 20‐m, and 30‐m depths over 2000–2005 on Conch Reef, Key Largo, Florida, ... Bleaching of X. muta did not result in sponge mortalityNote: Survey covered 2000-2005 at 15, 20 and 30 m on Conch Reef, Key Largo.

Source
06

McGrath et al. 2018

McGrath et al. (2018). Growth and longevity in giant barrel sponges: Redwoods of the reef or Pines in the Indo-Pacific? Scientific Reports.

The page saysstudies suggest it may live for thousands of years
The source saysStudies of Caribbean X. muta suggest they may be up to 1000 s of years oldNote: tagline. ADW (c. 2013) gave more than 2000 years from one growth model; dropped under the date rule, because the 2018 paper only says "may be up to 1000s of years" and stresses extrapolation error. The paper's own results are Indo-Pacific Xestospongia spp., not used.
The page saysstudies of Caribbean giant barrel sponges suggest they may be thousands of years old
The source saysStudies of Caribbean X. muta suggest they may be up to 1000 s of years oldNote: Replaces the ADW 2000-year figure (date rule). X. muta only.
The page saysThose estimates carry error, which is expected to grow with the size of the sponge.
The source sayserror is expected to increase with the extrapolation of large sponge ageNote: Also: "caution should be taken ... due to the inherent error associated with X. muta age extrapolation".

How the table was made: a writer drafted the profile from these sources and logged each claim with its quote, a reviewer with nothing but this table checked every sentence said no more than its quote, and a script confirmed each quote appears word for word in the source. The method is in the site'sAbout page.