Contact: Terry Collins
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Census of Marine Life

Breadcrumb Sponge: Marine Champion of Aliases

Caption: Halichondria panicea, popularly called "Breadcrumb Sponge," is the marine world's reigning champion of Latin aliases, with 56 synonyms appearing in taxonomic literature since its first description in 1766. Of no fixed address, it's known to frequent floats, pilings, and the underside of rocks, smells like exploded gunpowder and takes on many guises.

Credit: Bernard Picton and World Register of Marine Species

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Related news release: Census of Marine Life lists 122,500 known species, over halfway to complete inventory by Oct. 2010