Giant Caribbean Barrel Sponge
Xestospongia muta
Sighting evidence at Black Coral Garden, María la Gorda
Specimens here regularly exceed 1.5 m in diameter, among the largest documented along Cuba's south coast. Each barrel shelters resident flamingo tongue cowries, cleaning stations visited by queen angelfish, and amphipod communities living inside the osculum. Their longevity — some individuals estimated at several hundred years — makes them sentinel organisms for reef health monitoring.
Evidence at this site
No confirmed records on file at this site
Giant Caribbean Barrel Sponge is listed as a curated species here based on historical reports.