> [!summary]- Classification
**Kingdom**:: [Animalia](Animalia.md)
**Phylum**:: [Porifera](Porifera)
**Subphylum**::
**Superclass**::
**Class**:: Demospongiae
**Subclass**::
**Superorder**::
**Order**:: Dictyoceratida
**Suborder**::
**Superfamily**::
**Family**:: Spongiidae
**Subfamily**::
**Genus**:: Spongia
**Species**:: S. officinalis
**Vernacular**:: Greek bathing sponge
## Photos
*[126 - 2023-05-16 - Delta - Epidaurus - Greece](126%20-%202023-05-16%20-%20Delta%20-%20Epidaurus%20-%20Greece.md) - The black masses.*
*[129 - 2023-05-18 - Aventis III - Epidaurus - Greece](129%20-%202023-05-18%20-%20Aventis%20III%20-%20Epidaurus%20-%20Greece.md) - This seems a bit weird, but it's how sponges reproduce. They're creating clones of themselves through [asexual reproduction](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Asexual_reproduction).*
*[122 - 2023-05-14 - Aspo faro - Epidaurus - Greece](122%20-%202023-05-14%20-%20Aspo%20faro%20-%20Epidaurus%20-%20Greece.md) - We can observe the same process as above, asexual reproduction on the left between the main mass and the smaller one. This species present small osculum*
*[135 - 2023-07-22 - Grottes fauconières - Saint Cyr - France](135%20-%202023-07-22%20-%20Grottes%20fauconières%20-%20Saint%20Cyr%20-%20France.md) - I first thought of Ircinia oros, which is also grey with very distant osculums. But the Ircinia has chicken flesh kind of tegument. I tend to think it's just my light that was too bright, and the sponge that was a bit grayer than usual and that it's a S. officinalis. On its right, maybe [Agelas oroides - Orange agelas](Agelas%20oroides%20-%20Orange%20agelas.md) and other species such as [Parazoanthus axinellae - Yellow encrusting anemone](Parazoanthus%20axinellae%20-%20Yellow%20encrusting%20anemone.md).*
## Notes
## References
- https://doris.ffessm.fr/Especes/Spongia-Spongia-officinalis-Eponge-de-toilette-1929/(rOffset)/7
- [Découvrir la vie sous-marine - Méditerranée - Steven Weinberg](Découvrir%20la%20vie%20sous-marine%20-%20Méditerranée%20-%20Steven%20Weinberg.md) p141-142