The list of sponges of South Africa is a list of species that form a part of the poriferan (Phylum Porifera) fauna of South Africa. Taxonomy follows WoRMS. The list follows the SANBI listing on iNaturalist, and does not always agree with WoRMS for distribution.
Class Calcarea
Subclass Calcaronea
Order Leucosolenida
Family Grantiidae
Amphiute lepadiformis Borojevic, 1967
Aphroceras alcicornis Gray, 1858, syn. Leucandra alcicornis (Gray, 1858), Cyathiscus actinia Haeckel, 1869. Leucandra algoaensis (Bowerbank, 1864), syn, Leucogypsia algoaensis Bowerbank, 1864. Leucandra armata (Urban, 1908), syn. Leuconia armata Urban, 1908. Leucandra australiensis (Carter, 1886), syn. Leuconia australiensis Carter, 1886. Leucandra bleeki (Haeckel, 1872), syn. Leucaltis bleeki Haeckel, 1872. Leucandra hentschelii Brøndsted, 1931, syn.Leuconia hentschelii (Brøndsted, 1931), Leucandra spissa (Urban, 1909), syn. Leuconia spissa Urban, 1909.
Family Amphoriscidae
Amphoriscus kryptoraphis Urban, 1908
Leucilla capsula (Haeckel, 1870), syn. Lipostomella capsula Haeckel, 1870.
Family Heteropiidae
Grantessa ramosa (Haeckel, 1872), syn. Grantia ramosa Smith in Haeckel, 1872, Leuckartea natalensis Miklucho-Maclay in Haeckel, 1872, Sycandra ramosa Haeckel, 1872, Sycandra ramosa Haeckel, 1872. Grantessa rarispinosa Borojevic, 1967 Grantia socialis Borojevic, 1967 Heteropia glomerosa (Bowerbank, 1873), syn. Sycettusa glomerosa (Bowerbank, 1873), Leuconia glomerosa Bowerbank, 1873, Heteropia simplex Row in Dendy & Row, 1913. Sycettusa hastifera (Row, 1909), syn. Grantilla hastifera Row, 1909.
Family Leucosoleniidae
Leucosolenia botryoides (Ellis & Solander, 1786), syn. Spongia botryoides Ellis & Solander, 1786, orange pipe sponge. Leucosolenia eustephana Haeckel, 1872
Family Sycettidae
Sycon defendens Borojevic, 1967
Sycon dunstervillia (Haeckel, 1872), syn. Sycandra dunstervillia Haeckel, 1872. Sycon lunulatum (Haeckel, 1872), syn. Leucandra lunulata Haeckel, 1872, Leuconia lunulata (Haeckel, 1872). Sycon natalense Borojevic, 1967
Subclass Calcinea
Order Clathrinida
Family Clathrinidae
Ascaltis gardineri (Dendy, 1913), syn. Clathrina gardineri (Dendy, 1913),Leucosolenia gardineri Dendy, 1913, Leucosolenia gardineri var. vergensis Kumar, 1924. Ernsta cordata (Haeckel, 1872), syn. Ascandra cordata Haeckel, 1872, Clathrina cordata (Haeckel, 1872), Leucosolenia cordata (Haeckel, 1872).
Family Leucettidae
Leucetta trigona Haeckel, 1872
Class Demospongiae
Subclass Heteroscleromorpha
Order Agelasida
Family Agelasidae
Agelas mauritiana var. oxeata Lévi, 1961 Pocked cup sponge
Order Axinellida
Family Axinellidae
Axinella natalensis (Kirkpatrick, 1903), syn. Tragosia infundibuliformis var. natalensis Kirkpatrick, 1903. Axinella weltnerii (Lendenfeld, 1897), syn. Phacellia weltnerii Lendenfeld, 1897. Crumpled sponge
Family Stelligeridae
Higginsia bidentifera (Ridley & Dendy, 1886) Higginsia natalensis Carter, 1885, syn. Higginsia coralloides var. natalensis Carter, 1885,
Family Raspailiidae
Subfamily Raspailiinae
Aulospongus involutus (Kirkpatrick, 1903), syn. Hemectyonilla involuta (Kirkpatrick, 1903), Stylostichon involutum Kirkpatrick, 1903. Endectyon gorgonioides (Kirkpatrick, 1903), syn. Syringella gorgonioides Kirkpatrick, 1903. Raspailia rigida Ridley & Dendy, 1886
Subfamily Cyamoninae
Waltherarndtia caliculatum (Kirkpatrick, 1903), syn. Hymeniacidon caliculatum var. osculatum Kirkpatrick, 1903, Hymeniacidon caliculatum Kirkpatrick, 1903.
Order Biemnida
Family Biemnidae
Biemna anisotoxa Lévi, 1963 yellow encrusting sponge. Biemna megalosigma var. sigmodragma Lévi, 1963 Biemna pedonculata Lévi, 1963 Biemna polyphylla Lévi, 1963 Biemna rhabdostyla Uriz, 1988 Sigmaxinella arborea Kirkpatrick, 1903 Sigmaxinella incrustans Kirkpatrick, 1903
Order Bubarida
Family Desmanthidae
Petromica (Petromica) digitata (Burton, 1929), syn. Petromica digitata (Burton, 1929), Monanthus plumosus var. digitatus Burton, 1929, Monanthus digitatus Burton, 1929. Petromica (Petromica) plumosa Kirkpatrick, 1903, syn. Petromica plumosa Kirkpatrick, 1903, Monanthus plumosus Kirkpatrick, 1903. Petromica (Petromica) tubulata (Kirkpatrick, 1903), syn.Petromica tubulata (Kirkpatrick, 1903),Monanthus plumosus var. tubulatus Kirkpatrick, 1903.