black sponge or dead sponge?

[a4twenty]

i noticed this sponge a few months ago and have been watching. i'm wondering if anyone has seen a black sponge like this or if maybe it is dead? obviously if the camera is out my blenny has to come pose :spin1:

http://reefcentral.com/gallery/data/500/109536blenny_for_mom.jpg

[a4twenty]

^^ bump ^^

[yakfishin]

Looks OK to me, I have heard of black sponges. I would think after months of being dead it would have decomposed by now. I think most sponges will eventually turn white and gooey as they decompose, but there could be exceptions.

[Lpabsolute]

I"ve got a few like that in my tank....not sure if it's dead or not but it seems to be growing larger....

[pfish]

I have quite a few black sponges in my tank. they are more tubular in shape than the one you are showing. My Regal Angel nips off the tips of them.

[a4twenty]

cool, thanks for the replies. i never see anything picking at it, so i assumed it was alive. if it were decomposing i figure the crabs would have been in there.

[GlobaLPimP]

I have a lot of those on my Fiji rock

[barjam]

I have one of those and it is alive or at least it grows (very slowly).

[Fiddler]

there is a black one growing in my tank as well, but it is more of a circle, and it grows kinda fast, and it seems to like a lot of light