Poriferacommon name:

Sponges

Domain: Eukarya Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: PoriferaThe organisms in the phylum Porifera can be further divided into four ‘classes’• Calcerous sponges• Horn sponges• Tropical reef sponges• Glass sponges

Phylum Porifera

There are more than 900 (mostly marine) species in this phylum.Below are several examples.

Yellow sponge Vase sponge

Tube sponge

Barrel SpongeKingdo

m: Animalia

Phylum: Porifera

Class: Demospongiae

Order: Haplosclerida

Family: Petrosiidae

Genus: Xestospongia

Species:X. testudinari

Giant barrel sponges can grow large enough to fit a person inside!

multicellular with few specialized cells

no mouths, tissues, or organ systems

asymmetrical- no front/back or left/right sides

often have a wall around a large central cavity

simple skeleton: In harder sponges the skeleton is

made of spiny spicules In softer sponges the skeleton is

made of spongin, a network of flexible protein fibers. These are the sponges that are harvested and used as natural bath sponges.

Body Plan/Key Characteristics of Sponges

7 Essential Functions

Fundamental question: How do choanocytes help sponges feed?

Choanocytes are specialized cells that use their flagella to move a steady current of water (and food!) through the sponge.

Feeding

Sponges are filter feeders, sifting microscopic food particles from the water.

As water moves through the body cavity, oxygen dissolved in the water diffuses into the cells of the sponge.

At the same time, waste such as carbon dioxide and ammonia diffuse into the water and are carried away.

Respiration, Circulation, Excretion

Sponges do not have a nervous system.

Many sponges protect themselves by producing toxins that make them poisonous to potential predators.

Response (nervous system)

Sexual reproductionMost sponges are hermaphrodites: a single sponge will produce both egg and sperm, but at different times.

Asexual reproductionSome sponges can reproduce by a process called budding.

Reproduction

Movement

Only able to move during the larva stage

Sessile as adults

SPONGES… provide habitat for marine animals - snails,

sea stars and shrimp are a food source for many organisms such

as sea stars, turtles and fishes.

provide a protected place for bacteria, algae and plantlike protists to grow. These photosynthetic organisms provide food and oxygen to the sponge.

Ecology

Endangered species: Cloud Sponge

- They are extremely fragile… bodies are composed of silica (glass)- Bottom trawling (dragging nets along sea floor to catch bottom fish) breaks their bodies – threatening the survival of the population

Miller, Kenneth and Levine, Joseph. Biology. Upper Saddle River: Prentice Hall, 2004.

"Marine Mysteries - Could Solving These Mysteries Save The Oceans?" Marine Mysteries. World Wildlife Federation, n.d. Web. 11 June 2012. <http://www.marinemysteries.ca/>.

"Treasures of the Sea Exhibit." Treasures of the Sea. Delaware Technical Community College, n.d. Web. 11 June 2012. <http://www.treasuresofthesea.org/>.

Resources