SUBERITIDAE, Schmidt, 1870

Mead, A., Carlton, J. T., Griffiths, C. L. & Rius, M., 2011, Introduced and cryptogenic marine and estuarine species of South Africa, Journal of Natural History 45 (39 - 40), pp. 2463-2524 : 2471-2472

Family SUBERITIDAE

Suberites tylobtusus Lévi, 1958 Not introduced

Uriz (1990) proposed that this Red Sea sponge, found at depths of 100–500 m, was translocated by fisheries activities to the continental shelf off southern Africa, between Namibia and South Africa, where earlier thorough surveys over many decades had failed to detect it. Uriz proposed that this introduction may have occurred between 1960 (when the fisheries activity in question commenced) and 1984, the date of the first collections. However, it is now recognized as a mis-identification and is therefore not introduced (Uriz personal communication 2009). We follow the World Porifera Database in the spelling of the species name.

Suberites ficus (Johnston, 1842) Introduced

This European irregularly rounded, yellow sponge is lobed and has large oscula that are flush with the sponge surface. It was first reported within South Africa from specimens collected in 1998 ( Samaai and Gibbons 2005). It can form significant fouling growths, which provide habitat to other smaller animals, and is found within docks on hard substrata. It is recorded from Luderitz to Table Bay docks and the most probable vector is ship fouling.