The approximately 5,000 living sponge species are classified in the phylum Porifera, which is composed of three distinct groups, the Hexactinellida (glass sponges), the Demospongia, and the Calcarea (calcareous sponges). Sponges are characterized by the possession of a feeding system unique among animals.
There are three different body plans found among sponges, and they are depicted in Figure below. The main difference between each body plan is the complexity of the canal system that pumps water through the animal. These drawings show cross-sections of asconoid, synconoid, and leuconoid sponge body walls.
Living sponges have traditionally been divided into three or perhaps four classes: Homoscleromorpha, Calcispongiae, Hexactinellida, and Demospongiae. The former is considered a clade with an absent skeleton or a skeleton of siliceous spicules without an axial filament.
The approximately 8,550 living sponge species are scientifically classified in the phylum Porifera, which is comprised of four distinct classes: the Demospongiae (the most diverse, containing 90 percent of all living sponges), Hexactinellida (the rare glass sponges), Calcarea (calcareous sponges), and Homoscleromorpha ...
Demosponges constitute about 90% of all known sponge species, including all freshwater ones, and they have the widest range of habitats.
Encrusting and Freestanding are two basic types of sponges. Water regulates into sponge's body through their pores with the help of the beating of flagella.
The phylum Porifera or sponges are mostly aquatic organisms whose body is composed of loosely arranged cells. These cells are of three types – mesenchyme cells, pinacocytes and choanocytes. Sponges are radially symmetrical or asymmetrical organisms with no tissue or organs.
The Leuconoid body type is the most evolved body type of sponges, with the most efficient oxygen and nutrient delivery system in bigger sponges.
The skeletons of the class Desmospongia are composed of spicules made up of silica and skeletal fibers made from spongin, a type of collagen protein. Desmospongia is the most abundant class of sponges alive today. More than 90% of all known sponge species are found within the class desmospongia.
The presence and composition of spicules and spongin are the differentiating characteristics between the classes of sponges. Demosponges, which contain spongin and may or may not have spicules, constitute about 90% of all known sponge species, including all freshwater ones, and have the widest range of habitats.
Characteristics: These sponges form a yellow or orange cushion, up to 13 cm in diameter. The cushion is covered by tapered, sometimes semi translucent papillae. Sometimes a few papillae grow significantly bigger than the others.
Sponges have developed not one, not two, but three different ways to reproduce asexually. These ways are fragmentation, budding, and gemmulation. Fragmentation is the most common way sponges reproduce.
Natural sea sponges are pieces of soft, porous, marine life that are used for cleaning. They originate from underwater sea life called sponges, which are colonies of thousands of tiny animals, or phylum Porifera. Each sponge is unique and the species vary in size, shape and color.
Usually found in the sea, sponges are some of the world's simplest animals. They have no heads, eyes, tails, or mouths, and they live most of their lives rooted in one spot. Their bodies are full of tiny holes called pores. Sponges feed by pumping water through their pores and filtering out small particles of food.
Sponges have specialized cells and an endoskeleton, but they lack tissues and body symmetry. Many live on coral reefs and have symbiotic relationships with other reef species. Cnidarians are aquatic invertebrates in Phylum Cnidaria. They include jellyfish and corals, both of which have radial symmetry.
The identification of sponges is very difficult due to their unique morphological traits and intraspecific variability in shape and colour. Therefore, proper identification often requires collection and microscopic examination of their skeleton. of collagen and forming very complex networks in many sponges.