Description: This sponge is grey to pale buff in colour. It can either be encrusting or massive-lobose to massive-fig in form. Variously described as being "roundish", "resembling the tongue of a sheep", or "an inverted triangular pyramid". It is apparent that some specimens tend to grow in an erect, flattened form, with the attached base narrower than the apex. Grows up to 30 cm in height, with variable width and depth. Oscules are borne on shallow, transparent cones of height 2-3mm, and have a diameter of 4-10 mm. The inhalant pores lie along the surface of the furrows, and can only be seen with the aid of a microscope in preserved material but are obvious in living specimens.

Habitat: Found from 30 m to 2460 m.

Distribution: Widely distributed over the north Atlantic, from the Azores to Spitzbergen. Also known from the Mediterranean, north west coast of America and Australia. At depths accessible by SCUBA, the distribution of this essentially deep water species is probably localised into discrete areas. Known recently from Ushant, Brittany; Rathlin Is; Loch Sunart, Insh Is. and Bach Is, Firth of Lorne; Faeroes.

Similar Species: Unlikely to be confused with any other species. The furrowed grooves on the surface of the sponge are highly characteristic.

Distribution Map from NBN: Mycale lingua at National Biodiversity Network mapping facility, data for UK.

iNaturalist: Mycale lingua at iNaturalist World Species Observations database.

GBIF data for Mycale (Mycale) lingua

WoRMS: Mycale lingua at World Register of Marine Species. Accepted name: Mycale (Mycale) lingua (Bowerbank, 1866). AphiaID: 168640.

Classification: Biota; Animalia; Porifera; Demospongiae; Heteroscleromorpha; Poecilosclerida; Mycalidae; Mycale