The Fire Sponge is mostly a bright red or orange color. It was named the Fire sponge because of the mild skin irritation it gives when touched. It can be found in the waters around Florida, the Caribbean and Brazil. Not much is known about the lifespan of the sponge.
How does the Fire Sponge reproduce? Like the Azure Vase Sponge, the Fire sponge is a hermaphrodite. The Sponge has nurse cells to help an unfertilized egg become ready. The Sponge also releases sperm into the nearby water. This sperm then fertilizes the egg. It grows forming a larvae. The larvae then falls to the ocean floor where it starts to develop as a new organism. It can also reproduce asexually when part of the sponge breaks off. The part of the sponge that has broken off starts to grow into a new organism.