Tank worthy if it looks like a wad of chewing gum?

[scubasue]

Hi! I am brand new to Reef.org and also to trying out my first Reef Tank. Feel like a small child on Christmas morning!

Anyway, this may be a boring post, but I can't find an ID for this somewhat drab fleshy attachment to the live rock I purchased. It's about 1/2 inch, oblong white and shows some frayed filaments that appear to have helped bind it to the rock. Anyone know what this might be? It is very inert so far, and I wondered if it was some sort of egg casing, or if it was some type of inert animal. It looks like a large, asymetric mole...(if the rock was a face)
Any ideas?
Thanks if anyone can help! I would send a picture, but its really blurry.

 

[Anonymous]

From the description it would probably be a species of Porifera (sponge).

mario

 

[scubasue]

All my initial reading about live rock suggested most of the sponge dies off from handling. This is a dumb question I am sure, but if this sponge is dead or dies later, how will I know? Will it eventually fall off the rock? It didn't smell, so maybe it is alive and I will have my first reef dweller!

 

[danmhippo]

When you see new growth out of it or if it expands, you will know it's alive............if whatever it is indeed is a sponge.

Not all sponge dies, some will survive. It takes just a few cells of sponge that manage to survive to grow into another one. The reason that most will die is due to their exposure to air and when air are trapped between cells, sponge have difficulties to expel air out of their structure and dies. When sponge dies, you will see the structure disintegrated or turn color.