Axinellidae

Biology

This family includes some photo-synthetic sponges that occur throughout the worlds coral reefs. They are amongst the more common sponges seen in the aquarium trade but are usually not successful species in captivity and not ones that thrive in the small household tank environment. They are common throughout the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean coral reefs. Species which derive their nutrition from sunlight must stay fairly close to the surface in order for their zooxanthellae to synthesize light into the sugars these sponges use to survive.