Florent's Guide To The

Tropical Reefs

Brown Variable Sponge
Cliona varians
Brown Variable Sponge
Category: Common Sponges
Scientific Name: Cliona varians
Synonyms: Anthosigmella varians
Size: 6 in. to 2 ft. (15 to 60 cm)  
Depth: 10-100 ft. (3-30 m)
Distribution: Caribbean, Bahamas, Florida
Porifera (Phylum)
└Demospongiae (Class)
 └Heteroscleromorpha (Subclass)
  └Clionaidae (Family)
   └Cliona (Genus)

Sponges
Common Sponges

Brown Variable Sponge

Red Boring Sponge

Vagabond Boring Sponge

Loggerhead Sponge

Rough Tube Sponge

Red Encrusting Sponge

Pink Lumpy Sponge

Lumpy Overgrowing Sponge

Leathery Barrel Sponge

Melophlus sarasinorum

Circular Column Sponge

Green Finger Sponge

Orange-Veined Encrusting Sponge

Peach Encrusting Sponge

Pandaros acanthifolium

Orange Icing Sponge

Strawberry Vase Sponge

Erect Rope Sponge

Brown Bowl Sponge

Pink Vase Sponge

Lavender Rope Spounge

Neopetrosia rosariensis

Giant Barrel Sponge

Barrel Sponge

Variable Boring Sponge

Brown Encrusting Octopus Sponge

Orange Lumpy Encrusting Sponge

Dark Volcano Sponge

Red-Orange Encrusting Sponge

Orange Sieve Encrusting Sponge

Pink and Red Encrusting Sponge

High-Veined Encrusting Sponge

Golf Ball Sponge

Orange Ball Sponge

Bell Sponge

Stinker Sponge

Black-Ball Sponge

Fan Sponge

Smenospongia conulosa

Strepsichordaia lendenfeldi

Branching Tube Sponge

Stove-Pipe Sponge

Row Pore Rope Sponge

Yellow Tube Sponge

Scattered Pore Rope Sponge

Branchlet Sponge

Convoluted Barrel Sponge

Netted Barrel Sponge

Reticulated Barrel Sponge

Pitted Sponge

Star Encrusting Sponge

Brain Sponge

Citron Sponge

Orange Elephant Ear Sponge

Brown Tube Sponge

Tubulate Sponge

Brown Clustered Tube Sponge

Dercitus (Halinastra) luteus

Walper's Branching Sponge

Touch-Me-Not Sponge

Branching Vase Sponge

Callyspongia fallax

Elongated Vase Sponge

Azure Vase Sponge

Chalinula nematifera

Coral Encrusting Sponge

Cliona tenuis



All Photographs
© 2025 Florent Charpin