Its surface is covered in shallow, circular pits of varying sizes, the rims of which are usually a lighter color than the rest of the organism.

The new construction referenced the similarities in larvae between the species and members of Mycale, as well as the clear differences between H. columella and all related sponges.

[4] Some sponges have an affinity for convergent evolution when they occupy similar ecological niches, creating the possibility for cryptic species that are not closely related but are nearly morphologically identical.

[5] The species is found attached to bedrock and boulders in silt-free littoral areas around the British Isles and in the Mediterranean Sea.

The two primary methods are secondary metabolites (organic compounds which are excreted) and calcibacteria (endosymbiotes which form a shield-like structure).

While sea urchin species like Paracentrotus lividus regularly consume sponges with only calcibacterial defenses, it has not been observed to prey upon H. columella due to the combination of chemicals and calcibacteria.

The presence of the calcibacteria in the flesh of the sponge also decreases its nutritional content, possibly causing some herbivorous fishes to choose other prey.