Chalinids are filter feeders that process suspended particles and dissolved organics. Some Indo-Pacific Chalinula—notably C. nematifera—can overgrow living corals and are monitored as potential coral-killing/encrusting competitors in parts of the region (Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, E. Pacific introductions).
Category: Sponges
Phylum: Porifera
Class: Demospongiae
Order: Haplosclerida
Family: Chalinidae
Genus: Chalinula (historically “Nara” de Laubenfels, 1954)
Location: Laamu, Maldives (House Reef of Six Senses, Laamu)
Underwater camera set-up: Panasonic GH5 and Nauticam housing
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