Brown Variable Sponge
| Name: | Brown Variable Sponge |
| Scientific Name: | Cliona varians |
| Family: | Encrusting Sponges |
| Taxonomic: | Clionaidae |
| ID Group: | Sponges, Bryozoans, Tunicates |
| Size: | up to 18 in. |
| Depth Range: | On the reef (10 – 60 ft.) |
| Sightings: | Seen sometimes |
This soft Sponge comes in different shapes. It may grow flat along the surface or form rounded lumps or ball-like shapes. Its color is usually tan or brown, with pale, round openings that stick out slightly. It is often covered with Sponge Zoanthids (Parazoanthus parasiticus).
The Brown Variable Sponge feeds by filtering tiny particles from the water. It often grows over old coral skeletons, slowly boring into the calcium carbonate structure and thereby helping to break down dead coral.