Erect Rope Sponge
| Name: | Erect Rope Sponge |
| Scientific Name: | Amphimedon compressa |
| Family: | Rope Sponges |
| Taxonomic: | Niphatidae |
| ID Group: | Sponges, Bryozoans, Tunicates |
| Size: | up to 3 ft. |
| Depth Range: | On the reef (10 – 60 ft.) |
| Sightings: | Seen sometimes |
This Rope Sponge grows in tall, straight branches that are usually red or dark reddish-brown. The branches often rise from a shared base and stand upright. Small pores are scattered across its surface.
The Erect Rope Sponge often has tiny Brittle Stars living on its branches. Like other Sponges, it also produces special chemicals that make it distasteful or toxic to predators.