About Hymeniacidon perlevis (Montagu, 1814)
The crumb-of-bread sponge, with the scientific name Hymeniacidon perlevis (Montagu, 1814), is a thickly encrusting sponge that has a glistening, bumpy surface. Intertidal specimens are bright yellow, while specimens collected from deeper water have darker coloration. This sponge produces a distinct scent that has been described as similar to exploded gunpowder. Its oscula are scattered across the sponge's surface; they may be flush with the surface or sit on raised mounds. The overall form of the sponge is variable, and changes based on the environment it grows in. In sheltered areas, branched structures grow out from the sponge's base. In areas exposed to regular wave action, the sponge's surface is either convoluted or flat. This species is distributed across the northern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, the Pacific Ocean, and along the southern African coast from northern Cape to Port St Johns. It inhabits areas ranging from intertidal tide pools down to a maximum depth of approximately 15 meters, or about 50 feet.
