The Phylum Porifera
A Brief Overview
The phylum porifera consists of sponges. They are multicellular organisms which have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate through them, consisting of jelly-like mesohyl (gelatinous matrix within a sponge) sandwiched between two thin layers of cells. Sponges have unspecialized cells that can transform into other types and which often migrate between the main cell layers and the mesohyl in the process. Sponges do not have nervous, digestive or circulatory systems. Instead, most rely on maintaining a constant water flow through their bodies to obtain food and oxygen and to remove wastes. Sponges have flagellated cells over the surface of their bodies. These cells have tails that wiggle. The collective effort of all these cells creates a water current that flows through the many porous openings in the sponges body. It's a water based circulatory system. Sponges are like other animals in that they are multicellular, heterotrophic, lack cell walls and produce sperm cells. Unlike other animals, they lack true tissues and organs, and have no body symmetry. The shapes of their bodies are adapted for maximum efficiency of water flow through the central cavity, where it deposits nutrients, and leaves through a hole called the osculum. All sponges are sessile aquatic animals (unable to move).
The phylum porifera consists of sponges. They are multicellular organisms which have bodies full of pores and channels allowing water to circulate through them, consisting of jelly-like mesohyl (gelatinous matrix within a sponge) sandwiched between two thin layers of cells. Sponges have unspecialized cells that can transform into other types and which often migrate between the main cell layers and the mesohyl in the process. Sponges do not have nervous, digestive or circulatory systems. Instead, most rely on maintaining a constant water flow through their bodies to obtain food and oxygen and to remove wastes. Sponges have flagellated cells over the surface of their bodies. These cells have tails that wiggle. The collective effort of all these cells creates a water current that flows through the many porous openings in the sponges body. It's a water based circulatory system. Sponges are like other animals in that they are multicellular, heterotrophic, lack cell walls and produce sperm cells. Unlike other animals, they lack true tissues and organs, and have no body symmetry. The shapes of their bodies are adapted for maximum efficiency of water flow through the central cavity, where it deposits nutrients, and leaves through a hole called the osculum. All sponges are sessile aquatic animals (unable to move).
![Picture](/uploads/2/0/0/6/20069161/5649599.jpg)
Aplysina Archeri
Aplysina Archeri (also known as stove-pipe sponge because of its shape) is a species of tube sponge that has long tube-like structures of cylindrical shape. Many tubes are attached to one particular part of the organism. A single tube can grow up to 5 feet high and 3 inches thick. These sponges mostly live in the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean, Bahamas, Florida, and Bonaire. They are filter feeders; they eat food such as plankton or suspended detritus as it passes them. Very little is known about their behavioral patterns except for their feeding ecology and reproductive biology. Tubes occur in varying colors including lavender, gray and brown. They reproduce both by asexual and sexual reproduction. When they release their sperms, the sperms float in water and eventually land somewhere where they begin to reproduce cells and grow. These sponges take hundreds of years to grow and never stop growing until they die. Snails are among their natural predators. The dense population of these sponges is going down because of toxic dumps and oil spill. This species of sponges does not contain a circulatory system, instead they rely on constant water flow through their bodies to obtain and excrete nutrients (water based circulatory system).
Aplysina Archeri (also known as stove-pipe sponge because of its shape) is a species of tube sponge that has long tube-like structures of cylindrical shape. Many tubes are attached to one particular part of the organism. A single tube can grow up to 5 feet high and 3 inches thick. These sponges mostly live in the Atlantic Ocean, the Caribbean, Bahamas, Florida, and Bonaire. They are filter feeders; they eat food such as plankton or suspended detritus as it passes them. Very little is known about their behavioral patterns except for their feeding ecology and reproductive biology. Tubes occur in varying colors including lavender, gray and brown. They reproduce both by asexual and sexual reproduction. When they release their sperms, the sperms float in water and eventually land somewhere where they begin to reproduce cells and grow. These sponges take hundreds of years to grow and never stop growing until they die. Snails are among their natural predators. The dense population of these sponges is going down because of toxic dumps and oil spill. This species of sponges does not contain a circulatory system, instead they rely on constant water flow through their bodies to obtain and excrete nutrients (water based circulatory system).
![Picture](/uploads/2/0/0/6/20069161/1907177.jpg)
Spongia officinalis
Spongia officinalis, better known as bath sponge, is a commercially used sponge. It is found throughout the Mediterranean Sea. It is a hermaphroditic animal and can reproduce asexually by means of budding or through sexual reproduction. When alive, its color is dark grey; upon drying it becomes either yellow or brown. Young larvae swim freely until they attach themselves to the sea floor or other adequate ground. After that, they start growing slowly, as it may take as much as 40 years to grow the size of a baseball. Harvesting has led to a decrease in population. This species of sponges does not contain a circulatory system, instead they rely on constant water flow through their bodies to obtain and excrete nutrients (water based circulatory system).
Spongia officinalis, better known as bath sponge, is a commercially used sponge. It is found throughout the Mediterranean Sea. It is a hermaphroditic animal and can reproduce asexually by means of budding or through sexual reproduction. When alive, its color is dark grey; upon drying it becomes either yellow or brown. Young larvae swim freely until they attach themselves to the sea floor or other adequate ground. After that, they start growing slowly, as it may take as much as 40 years to grow the size of a baseball. Harvesting has led to a decrease in population. This species of sponges does not contain a circulatory system, instead they rely on constant water flow through their bodies to obtain and excrete nutrients (water based circulatory system).
![Picture](/uploads/2/0/0/6/20069161/4424566.jpg)
Spongilla lacustris
Spongilla lacustris is a species of sponge of the freshwater sponge family Spongillidae that lives on fresh water lakes. It often grows under logs or rocks. It ranges from North America, Europe and Asia. They have the capability to reproduce asexually and sexually. They become dormant during winter.This species of sponges does not contain a circulatory system, instead they rely on constant water flow through their bodies to obtain and excrete nutrients (water based circulatory system).
Spongilla lacustris is a species of sponge of the freshwater sponge family Spongillidae that lives on fresh water lakes. It often grows under logs or rocks. It ranges from North America, Europe and Asia. They have the capability to reproduce asexually and sexually. They become dormant during winter.This species of sponges does not contain a circulatory system, instead they rely on constant water flow through their bodies to obtain and excrete nutrients (water based circulatory system).