Cliona celata, occasionally called the boring sponge, is a species of demosponge belonging the family Clionaidae.

This sponge bores round holes up to 5 millimetres (0.20 in) in diameter in limestone or the shells of molluscs, especially oysters.

[6] The path water takes through Cliona celata is directly related to its leuconoid body plan.

[9] The calcium chips they etch out are swept away through the sponge's water channels and end up as products of bioerosion.

Due to their high tolerance for environmental stress, reefs that have been harmed or destroyed by coral bleaching are especially vulnerable to these sponges taking over.

Despite this, the calcareous material they etch away positively contributes to the sediment composition surrounding the reefs.

Arbacia, a genus of sea urchins, is a predator that can consume the sponge before it has time to regenerate.

[citation needed] Cliona celata is a distinctive sponge known for its unique morphology and characteristics.

These sponges can be found boring into substrates like limestone, shells, or calcareous red algae, appearing as clear sulphur-lemon lobes or rounded papillae tips.

The coloration of C. celata varies from yellow in its natural state to darker shades when exposed to air and brown when preserved in alcohol.

Red discoloration around oscular openings is occasionally observed, possibly due to symbiotic algae.

Its spicules consist of tylostyles ranging from 280 to 430μm, densely and irregularly arranged, often with swellings near their tips.

Habitat-wise, C. celata is resilient to sediment and can be found on rocks across a wide distribution from Sweden to Gibraltar in the Eastern Atlantic and the Mediterranean.

Extensive research has been done on C. celata, and it has shown that this boring sponge may potentially have certain compounds present in it that are great for anti-inflammatory purposes.

[14] This research could potentially lead to new medications that could help maintain/control inflammation in numerous patients who buy everyday anti-inflammatory pills and much more.

[15] This seems to be beneficial due to the fact that Cilona celata has shown adaptability various abiotic factors found in a typical day-to-day marine life.

The sperm is captured by choanocytes, taken into the mesohyl by archaeocytes, and eventually transported to the eggs where fertilization will take place.