# Breadcrumb sponge (*Halichondria panicea*)

Canonical page: https://creaturedata.com/animals/breadcrumb-sponge  
Data as of: 2026-11-14

The breadcrumb sponge (Halichondria panicea) is a sponge in the family Halichondriidae, order Suberitida, class Demospongiae and phylum Porifera. It belongs to the genus Halichondria, and its scientific name carries the authority (Pallas, 1766). Other English names for it are Bread-crumb sponge, Crumb of bread sponge and Breadcrumb horny sponge. Catalogue of Life lists it as living, not extinct.

## Quick facts

| Fact | Value |
|---|---|
| Weight | Not recorded |
| Length | Not recorded |
| Lifespan | Not recorded |
| Main food | Not recorded |
| Habitat | coastal, marine, rocky |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Introduced range

The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species lists it as introduced in 2 countries. Introduced: Argentina, Mexico. Source: https://griis.org/ (CC BY 4.0).

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Porifera
- class: Demospongiae
- order: Suberitida
- family: Halichondriidae
- genus: Halichondria
- species: *Halichondria panicea* (Pallas, 1766)

Synonyms: *Alcyonium manus*, *Alcyonium manusdiaboli*, *Alcyonium medullare*, *Alcyonium paniceum*, *Amorphina appendiculata*, *Amorphina coccinea*, *Amorphina grisea*, *Amorphina paciscens*, *Amorphina panicea*, *Amorphina velamentosa*, *Clathria seriata*, *Clathria seriata*, *Clathria tumulosa*, *Eumastia appendiculata*, *Halichondria albescens*, *Halichondria ambigua*, *Halichondria bibula*, *Halichondria brettii*, *Halichondria caduca*, *Halichondria coccinea*, *Halichondria coralloides*, *Halichondria edusa*, *Halichondria firmus*, *Halichondria glaberrima*, *Halichondria glabra*, *Halichondria grisea*, *Halichondria incerta*, *Halichondria lactea*, *Halichondria membrana*, *Halichondria paciscens*, *Halichondria panacea*, *Halichondria panicea*, *Halichondria pannosus*, *Halichondria papillaris*, *Halichondria papillaris*, *Halichondria reticulata*, *Halichondria reticulata*, *Halichondria sevosa*, *Halichondria topsenti*, *Halichondria velamentosa*, *Halichondria velamentosa*, *Halichondria velamentosa*, *Halichondriella corticata*, *Halina panicea*, *Halina papillaris*, *Halispongia papillaris*, *Hymeniacidon brettii*, *Hymeniacidon coccinea*, *Hymeniacidon fallaciosus*, *Hymeniacidon firmus*, *Hymeniacidon fragilis*, *Hymeniacidon lactea*, *Hymeniacidon membrana*, *Hymeniacidon parfitti*, *Hymeniacidon reticulatus*, *Hymeniacidon solidus*, *Hymeniacidon tegeticula*, *Hymeniacidon thomasii*, *Isodictya crassa*, *Isodictya perplexa*, *Menanetia minchini*, *Menanetia topsenti*, *Microciona tumulosa*, *Pellina bibula*, *Reniera velamentosa*, *Scypha papillaris f. sowerbeii*, *Seriatula seriata*, *Spongia albescens*, *Spongia compacta*, *Spongia cristata*, *Spongia panacea*, *Spongia panicea*, *Spongia seriata*, *Spongia tomentosa*, *Spongia urens*, *Spuma borealis var. convoluta*, *Spuma borealis var. tuberosa*, *Spuma borealis var. velamentosa*, *Trachyopsilla glaberrima*

## Common questions

### What kind of animal is the breadcrumb sponge?

The breadcrumb sponge is a sponge, an animal in the phylum Porifera and the class Demospongiae.

### What is the scientific name of the breadcrumb sponge?

Its scientific name is Halichondria panicea, in the genus Halichondria.

### Who named the breadcrumb sponge and when?

The authority for Halichondria panicea is written as (Pallas, 1766).

### What family does the breadcrumb sponge belong to?

It belongs to the family Halichondriidae, in the order Suberitida.

### What other names does the breadcrumb sponge have?

Other English names are Bread-crumb sponge, Crumb of bread sponge and Breadcrumb horny sponge.

### Is the breadcrumb sponge extinct?

No. Catalogue of Life lists it as living, not extinct.

### Is the breadcrumb sponge an invasive species?

The Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species lists the breadcrumb sponge as introduced in 2 countries: Argentina and Mexico, but does not flag it as invasive in any of them.

## Sources

- [Catalogue of Life eXtended Release](https://www.checklistbank.org/dataset/316691), CC BY 4.0, 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life (2026). Catalogue of Life eXtended Release, version 2026-10-16 XR. Catalogue of Life Foundation, Amsterdam, Netherlands. https://doi.org/10.48580/dgzlf
- [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org), per file (CC0 / public domain / CC BY green, CC BY-SA amber, anything else not displayed), 2026-11-11. Wikimedia Commons contributors. Wikimedia Commons. https://commons.wikimedia.org (each file credited to its author under its own licence).
- [Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species (GRIIS)](https://griis.org/), CC BY 4.0, 2026-11-13. Pagad, S., Genovesi, P., Carnevali, L., Schigel, D. & McGeoch, M.A. (2018) Introducing the Global Register of Introduced and Invasive Species. Scientific Data 5: 170202. https://doi.org/10.1038/sdata.2017.202. Country checklists published through GBIF by the IUCN SSC Invasive Species Specialist Group.
- [Wikidata](https://www.wikidata.org), CC0 1.0, 2026-11-11. Wikidata contributors. Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org (data retrieved via the Wikidata Query Service).
- [Wikipedia (English)](https://en.wikipedia.org), CC BY-SA 4.0, 2026-11-11. Wikipedia contributors. Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. https://en.wikipedia.org (text under CC BY-SA 4.0; each block names its article and revision).

Cite as: Breadcrumb sponge (Halichondria panicea). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/breadcrumb-sponge