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 Calcium carbonate deposition in the Calcarea Heteropia glomerosaAdded on: 2025-05-24 17:11:01 by Boury-Esnault, Nicole Wendt, C.; De Medeiros, F.C.; Gonçalves, R.P.; Nudelman, F.; Klautau, M.; Farina, M.; Rossi, A.L. (2025). Calcium carbonate deposition in the spicules of the sponge Heteropia glomerosa (Porifera, Calcarea). Journal of Structural Biology. 217(2): 108210. ... Linnaeus' 1759 Porifera species finally typified on his 318th birthdayAdded on: 2025-05-23 10:47:44 by van Soest, Rob W.M. Van Soest, R.W.M. (2025) Typification of Porifera described in the 10th edition of Linnaeus' Systema Naturae, volume II, 1759. Zootaxa, 5638 (1), 1–65 ... Checklist of sponges from ArgentinaAdded on: 2025-05-20 07:43:40 by Cárdenas, Paco Schejter, L.; Bremec, C.; Cerrano, C.; Bertolino, M.; Calcinai, B. (2025). Checklist of sponges (Porifera) at the shelf-break front of Argentina, SW Atlantic Ocean, with data on their settlement substrata. The European Zoological Journal, 92(1), 535–557. https://doi.org/10.1080/24750263.2025.2495787 ... Freshwater sponges of the genus Eunapius from MexicoAdded on: 2025-05-18 17:30:40 by van Soest, Rob W.M. Carballo, J.L.; Gómez, P.; Cruz-Barraza, J.A.; Yáñez, B.A. (2025) Taxonomy and molecular systematic position of the freshwater genus Eunapius with the descriptions of new species: more evidence in favour of the polyphyly of Spongillida. Systematics and Biodiversity, 23 (1), 2491350 ... pulvinar.jpg) New records of sponges from the Turkish Aegean coastAdded on: 2025-05-13 16:07:37 by van Soest, Rob W.M. Evcen, A.; Çinar, M.E. (2025) Sponge fauna of the Aegean coast of Türkiye with new records for the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Zootaxa, 5631 (2), 201-244. ...
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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)
- Rützler, Klaus: Porifera (Spirophorina)
- 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 (2025), there are 9,740 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. (2025). World Porifera Database. Accessed at https://www.marinespecies.org/porifera on 2025-05-25. 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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