# Lake sponge (*Spongilla lacustris*)

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

Lake sponge (Spongilla lacustris) is a sponge in the family Spongillidae, class Demospongiae, phylum Porifera. It also goes by the English names Pond sponge, Freshwater sponge and Common freshwater sponge. The species name carries the authority (Linnaeus, 1759), and the 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 | freshwater, riverine |
| Young per litter or clutch | Not recorded |
| Reproduction | Live birth |
| Conservation status | Not recorded |
| Countries on record | Not recorded |

## Classification

- kingdom: Animalia
- phylum: Porifera
- class: Demospongiae
- order: Spongillida
- family: Spongillidae
- genus: Spongilla
- species: *Spongilla lacustris* (Linnaeus, 1759)

Synonyms: *Ephydatia lacustris*, *Euspongilla lacustris*, *Spongia canalium*, *Spongia lacustris*, *Spongilla abortiva*, *Spongilla crustacea*, *Spongilla dawsoni*, *Spongilla erinaceus*, *Spongilla fenestrata*, *Spongilla flexispina*, *Spongilla jordanensis*, *Spongilla jordanensis var. druliaeformis*, *Spongilla lacustrioides*, *Spongilla lacustris var. abortiva*, *Spongilla lacustris var. dawsoni*, *Spongilla lacustris var. dawsoni*, *Spongilla lacustris var. ineptorum*, *Spongilla lacustris var. jordanensis*, *Spongilla lacustris var. leighensis*, *Spongilla lacustris var. macrotheca*, *Spongilla lacustroides*, *Spongilla lacustroides var. corticea*, *Spongilla lieberkuehni*, *Spongilla microgemmata*, *Spongilla mirabilis*, *Spongilla montana*, *Spongilla multiformis*, *Spongilla paupercula*, *Spongilla ramosa*, *Spongilla ramosa f. digitata*, *Spongilla ramosa f. gracilis*, *Spongilla rhenana*, *Trochospongilla erinaceus*

## Common questions

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

The scientific name of the lake sponge is Spongilla lacustris, in the genus Spongilla.

### Who named Spongilla lacustris and when?

The authority for Spongilla lacustris is written as (Linnaeus, 1759).

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

The lake sponge is also called Pond sponge, Freshwater sponge and Common freshwater sponge.

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

The lake sponge belongs to the family Spongillidae, in the order Spongillida.

### Is the lake sponge extinct?

No, the Catalogue of Life lists the lake sponge as living, not extinct.

## 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).
- [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: Lake sponge (Spongilla lacustris). Retrieved from https://creaturedata.com/animals/lake-sponge