Phylum Porifera

Sponges Kingdom: Animalia

Phylum: Porifera
Classes: Hexactinellida Demospongia Calcarea

Phylum Porifera
Sponges 5,000 living species Three Distinct Groups:
Hexactinellida (glass sponges) Demospongia Calcarea (calcareous sponges)

Most primitive of all

animals

Major Characteristics:
Feed by filtering water through their outer
walls and pumping it out of body Flow of water is uni-directional Generally non-motile but can move up to 4 mm per day Almost all are marine organisms Amorphous & Assymetrical

Feeding:
Flow of water through the
sponge allows for feeding, waste removal, and the intake of oxygen A combination of pressure, flagella, and contractile movements pump water Filter Bacteria as a food source

Moving Water/Current = Low Pressure

Water pumped in through the walls

Reproduction:
Can reproduce sexually

and asexually Sexually they release large amounts sperm that are taken in by females of the same species Sexually they could be hermaphrodites (a boy/girl in the same organism) Asexually they produce buds

Structure / Anatomy:
No tissues or organs Each type of sponge
cell is responsible for a specific function

Skeletal / Muscular:
Opening at top called
the osculum Gelatinous interior called the mesohyl The interior cavity called the spongocoel
OSCULUM - opening

SPONGOCOEL

MESOHYL

Structure / Anatomy:

Structure / Anatomy:

Spicules:

Skeletal / Muscular:
The skeleton is made up of calcium carbonate
splinters called spicules and/or a protein based mesh like substance called spongin

Skeletal / Muscular:

The structural wall consists of the outer

pinacocyte cells, a middle layer of gelatin containg amoebocyte cells, while the interior consists of the collar cells which have flagella

Circulatory:
Amoeboid Cells in
the wall transport food and nutrients

Excretory:
All wastes are
purged through the main pore called the osculum

Respiratory / Nervous
Various cells take in oxygen through
diffusion No nervous system is present

Digestive:
Filter feeders Collar cells engulf

and digest food vacuoles Use amoeboid cells to distribute nutrients

Class: Hexactinellida
Glass sponges Consists of silica

constructed fibers called spicules Cannot contract like other sponges though can send electrical impulses

Class: Demospongia
Most diversity 90% of species

fall into this class Can consist of spongin and / or silica spicules

Class: Calcarea
Found in shallow

waters Spicules are composed of calcium