Hiding under rocks by day, brittle stars can be seen out on sponges and soft corals at night.
These species have been documented in the park. The list is not exhaustive, and documented sightings of species not on this list are welcome. Submit your sightings to the webmaster.
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Category
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Scientific Name
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Common Name, if available
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Cnidaria- anemones
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Aiptasia pallida
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pale anemone
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Bartholomea annulata
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corkscrew anemone
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Bunodeopsis globulifera
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stinging mangrove anemone
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Condylactis gigantea
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giant Caribbean anemone
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Lebrunia danae
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branching anemone
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Phymanthus crucifer
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red beaded anemone
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Ragactis lucida
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knobby anemone
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Viatrix globulifera
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turtle grass anemone
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Cnidaria- comb jelly
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Mnemiopsis mccradyi
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sea walnut
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Cnidaria- corallimorph
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Ricordea florida
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ricordea mushroom
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Cnidaria- hydrocorals
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Millepora alcicornis
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branching fire coral
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Millepora complanata
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blade fire coral
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Cnidaria- hydroids, jellyfish, and siphonophores
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Aurelia aurita
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moon jelly
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Cassiopea frondosa
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upsidedown jelly
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Cassiopea xamachana
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mangrove upsidedown jelly
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Physalia physalis
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Portuguese man-of-war
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Porpita porpita
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blue button jelly
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Velella velella
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by the wind sailor
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Cnidaria- octocoral
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Briareum Asbestinum
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corky sea finger
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Erythropodium caribaeorum
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encrusting gorgonian
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Eunicea calyculata
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warty sea rod
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Eunicea succinea
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shelf knob sea rod
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Gorgonia flabellum
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venus sea fan
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Gorgonia ventalina
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common sea fan
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Plexaura flexuosa
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bent sea rod
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Plexaurella nutans
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giant slit-pore sea rod
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Pseudopterogorgia acerosa
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purple sea plume
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Pseudopterogorgia americana
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slimy sea plume
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Pseudopterogorgia bipinnata
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bipinnate sea plume
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Pterogorgia anceps
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angular sea whip
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Pterogorgia citrina
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yellow sea whip
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Pterogorgia guadalupensis
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groved-blade sea whip
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Cnidaria- stony coral
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Acropora cervicornis
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staghorn coral
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Acropora palmata
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Elkhorn coral
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Acropora prolifera
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fused staghorn coral
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Agaricia agaricites
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lettuce coral
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Cladocora debilis
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thin tube coral
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Colpophyllia natans
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boulder brain coral
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Dendrogyra cylindrus
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pillar coral
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Dichocoenia stokesii
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stokes star coral
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Diploria clivosa
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knobby brain coral
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Diploria labyrinthiformis
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labyrinthe brain coral
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Diploria strigosa
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symmetrical brain coral
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Eusmilia fastigiata
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smooth flower coral
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Favia fragum
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golfball coral
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Helioseris cucullata
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sunray lettuce coral
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Madracis decactis
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ten-ray star coral
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Madracis mirabilis
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Yellow pencil coral
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Manicina areolata
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rose coral
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Meandrina meandrites
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maze coral
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Montastraea annularis
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lobed star coral
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Montastraea cavernosa
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great star coral
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Montastraea faveolata
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mountainous star coral
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Montastraea franksi
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boulder star coral
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Mycetophyllia aliciae
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knobby cactus coral
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Mycetophyllia lamarckiana
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ridged cactus coral
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Oculina robusta
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robust ivory tree coral
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Porites astreoides
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mustard hill coral
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Porites branneri
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blue crust coral
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Porites divaricata
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thin finger coral
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Porites furcata
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branched finger coral
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Porites porites
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clubtip finger coral
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Siderastrea radians
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lesser starlet coral
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Siderastrea siderea
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massive starlet coral
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Solenastrea bournoni
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smooth star coral
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Solenastrea hyades
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knobby star coral
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Stephanocoenia intersepta
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blushing star coral
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Stephanocoenia michelini
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blushing star coral
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Cnidaria- zoanthid
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Palythoa caribaeorum
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white encrusting zoanthid
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Palythoa grandis
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sun zoanthid
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Parazoanthus parasiticus
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sponge zoanthid
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Parazoanthus puertoricense
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black sponge zoanthid
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Zoanthus pulchellus
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mat zoanthid
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Zoanthus sociatus
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green sea mat
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Echinodermata- brittle star
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Ophiocoma echinata
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blunt-spined brittle star
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Ophioderma cinereum
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chocolate brittle star
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Ophionereis reticulata
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reticulated brittle star
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Ophiothrix oerstedii
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Echinodermata- sea cucumber
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Actinopyga agassizii
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five-toothed sea cucumber
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Holothuria floridana
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Florida sea cucumber
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Holothuria grisea
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harlequin sea cucumber
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Holothuria mexicana
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donkey dung sea cucumber
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Holothuria parvula
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golden sea cucumber
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Synaptula hydriformis
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medusa worm
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Echinodermata- sea urchin and sand dollar
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Clypeaster rosaceus
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fat sea biscuit
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Diadema antillarum
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Echinometra lucunter
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rock boring urchin
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Eucidaris tribuloides
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slate pencil urchin
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Lytechinus variegatus
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green sea urchin
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Horseshoe crab
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Limulus polyphemus
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horseshoe crab
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Sponge
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Amphimedon viridis
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sponge
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Aplysina fistularis
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rope sponge
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Callyspongia plicifera
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azure vase songe
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Callyspongia vaginalis
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branching vase sponge
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Chalinula molitba
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Chondrilla caribensis
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chicken liver sponge
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Chondrilla nucula
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sponge
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Cliona delitrix
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red boring sponge
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Cliona langae
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coral encrusting sponge
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Cliona tenuis
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encrusting sponge
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Cliona varians
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green encrusting sponge
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Cribrochalina vasculum
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brown bowl sponge
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Diplastrella megastellata
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red-orange encrusting sponge
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Dysidea fragilis
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Geodia gibberosa
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barrel sponge
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Haliclona hogarth
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Haliclona tubifera
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Hippospongia lachne
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Holopsamma helwigi
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lumpy overgrowing sponge
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Iotrochota birotulata
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green finger sponge
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Ircinia campana
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Ircinia felix
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stinker sponge
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Ircinia strobilina
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black ball sponge
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Ircinia variabilis
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Monanchora barbadensis
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red lumpy sponge
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Monanchora unguifera
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red-orange lumpy sponge
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Mycale laevis
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yellow encrusting sponge
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Niphates digitalis
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purple sponge
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Pseudoceratina crassa
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branching tube yellow sponge
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Spheciospongia vesparium
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loggerhead sponge
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Spongia barbara
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yellow sponge
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Spongia cheiris
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glove sponge
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Spongia graminea
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grass sponge
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Spongia obscura
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grass sponge
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Spongia tubulifera
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cuban reef sponge
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Tedania ignis
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fire sponge
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Tedania klausi
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fire sponge
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Tethya crypta
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Tethya diploderma
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Xestospongia muta
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giant barrel sponge
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Tardigrade
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Echiniscoides sigismundi
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Milnesium tardigradum
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Tunicate
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Ascidia nigra
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black solitary tunicate
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Distaplia corolla
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button tunicate
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Ecteinascidia turbinata
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mangrove tunicate
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Eudistoma obscuratum
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black condominium tunicate
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Polycarpa spongiabilis
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giant tunicate
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Worm
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Americonuphis magna
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Amphinome rostrata
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worm
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Anamobaea orstedii
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split-crown feather duster
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Armandia maculata
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worm
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Branchiomma nigromaculata
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black spotted feather duster
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Ceratonereis mirabilis
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Chloeia viridis
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Cistenides sp.
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golden tube worm
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Eupolymnia crassicornis
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spaghetti worm
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Hermodice carunculata
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bearded fireworm
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Loimia medusa
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medusa worm
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Phyllodoce arenae
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Podarke obscura
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Pomatostegus stellatus
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star horseshoe worm
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Prionospio heterobranchia
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Sabellastarte magnifica
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magnificent feather duster
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Salmacina huxleyi
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Spirobranchus giganteus
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Christmas tree worm
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Spirorbis formosus
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