This is an abundant sponge of coastal areas of the North Atlantic and the Mediterranean Sea ranging from the intertidal zone to a recorded depth of over 550 m. It is also found in the intertidal zone of the coast of the northern part of the North Island of New Zealand.

[3] It is very tolerant of a wide range of coastal habitats, including strong currents, high salinity and exposure to powerful wave action.

The surface is often marked with pores (oscula) which can extend into tubular "chimneys" in wave-sheltered habitats.

At intermediate depths the sponge tends to be green in summer, cream or grey in winter.

For such a common species, relatively little is known about its reproduction: It appears to be a hermaphrodite and oogenesis has been reported as occurring in a very narrow timeband within a single population although exceptions have been observed.