spiky sponge Cinachyra antarctica

Cinachyra antarctica is found throughout Antarctica and the Antarctic Peninsula at depths from 18 to 761+ meters [1,3,7,9,10,12]. C. antarctica is round or egg-shaped with distinctive long spicule tufts sticking out from the conules spiralling on its surface [4,7]. Experiments suggest that the extending spicules keep predators at bay; seastars quickly move in to feed when the spicules are removed [11]. Its size is up to fifteen centimeters in height [4].


The color of C. antarctica is white, gray, grayish brown, light brown, dark yellow, or greenish [4,7,8].

Only four of 84 C. antarctica showed growth over ten years; these four increased in diameter two centimeters [5]. Another 62 C. antarctica showed no growth in three years [5].


Cinachyra antarctica is commonly seen, being 1.2% of the benthic surface cover and 0.6% of the sponge biomass at a Cape Armitage site [6].


The seastar Odontaster validus (shown here) and the sea urchin Sterechinus neumayeri have been observed feeding on the detrital film on the surface of Cinachyra antarctica [11].

An extract from C. antarctica has antibacterial, antifungal, and antiyeast activity [2].

1: B.A.N.Z. Antarctic Research Expedition, 1929-1931, under the command of Sir Douglas Mawson, Kt., O.B.E., B.E., D.Sc., F.R.S., Reports -- Series B (Zoology and Botany). Volume 9, part 4. Porifera -- Part 1: Antarctic Sponges. VM Koltun. Adelaide : Mawson Institute for Antarctic Research, University of Adelaide, 1976; 2: Antarctic Science 4(2):179-183, 1992; 3: Hooper, JNA & Wiedenmayer, F. Porifera. IN: Zoological Catalogue of Australia. Volume 12. Wells, A, ed. Melbourne : CSIRO Australia, 1994; 4: Antarctic Science 4(2):137-150, 1992; 5: Biologie des Spongiaires, Sponge Biology. C Levi and N Boury-Esnault, eds. Colloques Internationaux du Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique Number 291. Paris : Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 1979. pp.271-282; 6: Ecological Monographs 44(1):105-128, 1974; 7: Sponges of the Antarctic. I. Tetraxonida and Cornacuspongida. VM Koltun. IN: Biological reports of the Soviet Antarctic Expedition, 1955-1958 (Rezultaty biologicheskikh issledovanii Sovetskoi antarkticheskoi ekspeditsii, 1955-1958). Volume 2. EP Pavlovskii, ed. Jerusalem : Israel Program for Scientific Translations. 1966. pp.6-131; Appendix, Index of Latin Names on pp. 443-448; 8: Instituto Antartico Chileno. Serie Cientifica 39:97-158, 1989; 9: Polar Biology 12:559-585, 1992; 10: Issledovaniia Fauny Morei 19:49-55, 1972; 11: New Zealand Antarctic Record 9(2):34-52, 1989; 12: Polar Biology 20(4):229-247, 1998

Text ©Peter Brueggeman. Photographs ©Canadian Museum of Nature (Kathleen Conlan) & Norbert Wu. Photographs may not be used in any form without the express written permission of Canadian Museum of Nature (Kathleen Conlan) & Norbert Wu. Norbert Wu no longer grants permission for uncompensated use of his photos under any circumstances whatsoever; want more info?