The World Porifera Database
The WPD, the World Database of all Recent sponges ever described, is part of the World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), a global initiative to arrive at a register of all marine organisms.
The WPD is complementary to the Systema Porifera (editors Hooper & Van Soest, 2002),
the two volume comprehensive classification of all sponge taxa above the species level. It incorporates recent and future amendments of the sponge classification, including the recently proposed revision of Morrow & Cárdenas (2015).
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Porifera news New molecular analysis of Tethyidae phylogenyAdded on: 2026-01-16 08:38:03 by Cárdenas, Paco Erpenbeck, D.; Deister, F.; Ekins, M.; Dotzler, N.; Hooper, J.N.A.; Samaai, T.; Schätzle, S.; van der Sprong, J.; Vargas, S.; Wörheide, G. (2025) Target-enriched multilocus assay on poriferan museum collections unsettles tethyid classification. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution, 213, 108436. ... Genetic connectivity of populations of Axinella polypoidesAdded on: 2026-01-15 17:29:33 by Boury-Esnault, Nicole Morav, T.; Taboada, S.; Goren, L.; Idan, T.; Shefer, S.; Tikochinski, Y; Gracia Sancha, C.; Pérez, T.; Coma, R. & Ilan, M. Deep connections: exploring the genetic connectivity of mesophotic and shallow-water populations of the sponge Axinella polypoides. Scientific Reports, 15 (1) ... A new species of Parahigginsia from the North PacificAdded on: 2025-12-27 18:38:16 by Cárdenas, Paco Shilov, V.; Kukhlevskiy, A.; Nefedova, E. (2025). On the taxonomic position of the genus Parahigginsia (Porifera: Demospongiae), with the description of a new species and the first record of the genus from the North Pacific. Zoosystematica Rossica. 34(2): 298. ... through integrative taxonomy - Theising_et_al_[...].jpeg) New combination for Stylocordyla borealis eous Koltun, 1966Added on: 2025-12-22 15:23:43 by Boury-Esnault, Nicole Theising, F.I.; Hentschel, U.; Busch, K.; Brandt, A.; Carvalho, F.; Xavier, J.R.; Santín Muriel, A. (2026). Does an arctic circumpolar distribution exist for deep-sea sponges? Unravelling the systematics of Stylocordyla borealis (Porifera: Demospongiae) through integrative taxonomy. Progress in Oceanography. 241: 103646. ... Passing of Klaus RuetzlerAdded on: 2025-12-16 12:18:27 by de Voogd, Nicole J. We are saddened to share the news of the passing of our Porifera editor Dr. Klaus Ruetzler (1936–2025) in November. ...
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The aim for the WPD is to be a catalogue of sponge species in a continuously updated, fully hierarchical system to promote stability of sponge names, to serve the community of users of sponge names, and to act as a tool for higher taxon revisions and regional monographs. A further aim is to be the world’s comprehensive database for sponge type specimens and other important vouchered specimens. Additional information we are making available are (overview) distributions of all species and unaccepted name combinations occurring in the literature.
In order to have adequate expert knowledge we have formed an editorial committee consisting of:
and the following specialist colleagues:
- Alvarez, Belinda: Porifera (Axinellida, Bubarida, Scopalinida, Suberitida)
- Boury-Esnault, Nicole: Porifera (Homoscleromorpha, Keratosa, Polymastiida, Verongimorpha, Mediterranean fauna)
- Cárdenas, Paco: Porifera (Tetractinellida)
- Díaz, Maria-Cristina: Thematic editor: Porifera (Caribbean fauna)
- Dohrmann, Martin: Porifera (Hexactinellida)
- Downey, Rachel: Porifera (Antarctic)
- Goodwin, Claire: Porifera (Southern Ocean and parts of the Canadian Arctic)
- Hajdu, Eduardo: Porifera (Biemnida, Desmacellida, Poecilosclerida, South American fauna)
- Hooper, John N.A.: Porifera (Poecilosclerida, Australian fauna)
- Kelly, Michelle: Thematic editor: Porifera (New Zealand fauna)
- Klautau, Michelle: Porifera (Calcarea)
- Lim, Swee Cheng: Porifera (Indo-Pacific)
- Manconi, Renata: Porifera (Spongillida, freshwater sponges)
- Morrow, Christine: Porifera (Heteroscleromorpha, North Atlantic fauna)
- Pinheiro, Ulisses: Porifera (Spongillida)
- Pisera, Andrzej B.: Porifera (desma-bearing and coralline sponges)
- Ríos, Pilar: Porifera (Poecilosclerida & thematic editor for Iberian and Northwest African regions)
- Schönberg, Christine: Porifera (Clionaida, Siphonodictyon, Thoosidae)
- Turner, Thomas: Thematic editor: Porifera (NE Pacific)
- Vacelet, Jean: Porifera (Cladorhizidae, carnivorous sponges)
- van Soest, Rob W.M.: Porifera (Previous chief editor 2004/2021)
- Xavier, Joana: Porifera (Atlantic)
Editors are responsible for entries, decision on validity of names. Corrections and omissions may be addressed to the relevant editor or the general editor.
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Currently (2026), there are 9,781 valid species (marine + non-marine) in the database (among almost 20,000 taxon names).
Acceptance is an editorial decision, but we acknowledge such decisions need to be re-examined frequently in the light of new information. If you disagree with senior synonymy decisions or genus assignments, please let us have your - argumented - corrected assignment. More info.
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Who is who in sponge science
This global address list reflects information collated through annual surveys posted on mailing lists (PoriferaList, CoraList and Skolithos) and by contacting some people directly. The information was collected and made available by Christine Schönberg.
Sponge conference materials
This is a record of abstracts, proceedings and other materials from sponge meetings and symposia. CitationUsage of data from the World Porifera Database in scientific publications should be acknowledged by citing as follows:
- de Voogd, N.J.; Alvarez, B.; Boury-Esnault, N.; Cárdenas, P.; Díaz, M.-C.; Dohrmann, M.; Downey, R.; Goodwin, C.; Hajdu, E.; Hooper, J.N.A.; Kelly, M.; Klautau, M.; Lim, S.C.; Manconi, R.; Morrow, C.; Pinheiro, U.; Pisera, A.B.; Ríos, P.; Rützler, K.; Schönberg, C.; Turner, T.; Vacelet, J.; van Soest, R.W.M.; Xavier, J. (2026). World Porifera Database. Accessed at https://www.marinespecies.org/porifera on 2026-01-20. doi:10.14284/359
If the data from the World Porifera Database constitute a substantial proportion of the records used in analyses, the chief editor(s) of the database should be contacted. There may be additional data which may prove valuable to such analyses.
Individual pages are individually authored and dated. These can be cited separately: the proper citation is provided at the bottom of each page.
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