ADW: Porifera: INFORMATION

<!DOCTYPE html> <html xmlns:og="http://ogp.me/ns#" lang="en" xml:lang="en"> <head> <title>ADW: Porifera: INFORMATION</title> <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /> <link rel="canonical" href="https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Porifera/" /> <script type="text/javascript" src="//code.jquery.com/jquery-3.6.0.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="//code.jquery.com/jquery-migrate-3.3.2.min.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript" src="/static/js/compat.js"></script> <link rel="shortcut icon" href="https://animaldiversity.org/favicon.ico" /> <link href="//fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=Gentium+Book+Basic:400,400italic,700,700italic" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <link href="//fonts.googleapis.com/css?family=PT+Sans:400,700,400italic,700italic" rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/static/bootstrap/css/bootstrap.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/css/pica.styles.css" /> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/css/pica.print.css" media="print" />  <link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="/static/colorbox/colorbox.css" /> <meta property="og:url" content="https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Porifera/" /> <meta content="Porifera (sponges)" property="og:title" /> <meta content="website" property="og:type" /> <meta content="Animal Diversity Web" property="og:site_name" /> <meta content="https://animaldiversity.org/collections/contributors/Grzimek_inverts/Demospongiae/Spongia_officinalis/medium.jpg" property="og:image" /> <meta name="twitter:card" content="summary" /> <meta name="twitter:site" content="@AnimalDiversity" /> <meta name="twitter:title" content="Porifera (sponges)" /> <meta name="twitter:description" content="Read about Porifera (sponges) on the Animal Diversity Web." /> <meta name="twitter:image:src" content="https://animaldiversity.org/collections/contributors/Grzimek_inverts/Demospongiae/Spongia_officinalis/medium.jpg" /> <meta name="twitter:image:height" content="480" /> <meta name="twitter:image:width" content="630" /> <meta name="twitter:url" content="https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Porifera/" /> <script type="text/javascript" src="/static/js/Hyphenator.js"></script> <link rel="stylesheet" href="/static/social-likes/social-likes_birman.css" /> <style> .social-likes { margin: 0; } .social-likes__widget { margin: 0; } </style>   </head> <body> <div id="outerwrap"> <div id="header" aria-role="header"> <h1> <a id="homelink" href="/">Animal Diversity Web</a> </h1> <div class="umlinks"> <div class="relative"> <a href="https://lsa.umich.edu/ummz/" id="ummzlink">University of Michigan Museum of Zoology</a> <a href="https://www.umich.edu/" id="umlink">University of Michigan</a> </div> </div> </div> <div id="wrap" class="gradient"> <div class="container-fluid"> <div class="row-fluid"> <div class="span2 sidebar left"> <ul class="nav nav-tabs nav-stacked" id="sitemap"> <li> <a href="/">Home</a> </li> <li> <a href="/about/">About Us</a> </li> <li> <a href="/animal_names/">About Animal Names</a> </li> <li> <a href="/teach/">Educational Resources</a> </li> <li> <a href="/collections/">Special Collections</a> </li> <li> <a href="/glossary/">Glossary</a> </li> <li> <a href="/accounts/Animalia/">Browse Animalia</a> </li> </ul> <h2 class="offscreen">More Information</h2> <div class="well"> <h3>Additional Information</h3> <ul class="unstyled"> <li> <a href="http://eol.org/search/?q=Porifera&search=Go">Encyclopedia of Life</a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="span7_5 blahblahblah main" aria-role="main"> <h2 class="rank-unspecified">Porifera<span class="vernacular-name">sponges</span></h2> <div class="social-likes" data-counters="no"> <div class="facebook" title="Share link on Facebook">Facebook</div> <div class="twitter" title="Share link on Twitter">Twitter</div> </div> <div class="snapshots" aria-hidden="true"> <ul> <li> <a href="/accounts/Porifera/pictures/collections/contributors/Grzimek_inverts/Demospongiae/Spongia_officinalis/"> <img alt=" " src="/collections/contributors/Grzimek_inverts/Demospongiae/Spongia_officinalis/button.jpg" border="0" /> </a> </li> <li> <a href="/accounts/Porifera/pictures/collections/contributors/Grzimek_inverts/Calcarea/Pericharax_heteroraphis/"> <img alt=" " src="/collections/contributors/Grzimek_inverts/Calcarea/Pericharax_heteroraphis/button.jpg" border="0" /> </a> </li> <li> <a href="/accounts/Porifera/pictures/collections/contributors/robert_bachand/Microcionidae/164_Red_beard_sponge_Microciona_prolifera/"> <img alt=" " src="/collections/contributors/robert_bachand/Microcionidae/164_Red_beard_sponge_Microciona_prolifera/button.jpg" border="0" /> </a> </li> <li> <a href="/accounts/Porifera/pictures/collections/contributors/robert_bachand/Clionaidae/163_Boring_sulfur_Cliona_celata/"> <img alt=" " src="/collections/contributors/robert_bachand/Clionaidae/163_Boring_sulfur_Cliona_celata/button.jpg" border="0" /> </a> </li> <li> <a href="/accounts/Porifera/pictures/collections/contributors/Grzimek_inverts/Demospongiae/Haliclona_oculata/"> <img alt=" " src="/collections/contributors/Grzimek_inverts/Demospongiae/Haliclona_oculata/button.jpg" border="0" /> </a> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="byline">By Phil Myers</div> <div class="inner-wrap"> <section class="hyphenate"> <p>Sponges are a diverse group of sometimes common types, with about 5000 species known across the world. Sponges are primarily marine, but around 150 species live in fresh water. Sponges have cellular-level organization, meaning that that their cells are specialized so that different cells perform different functions, but similar cells are not organized into tissues and bodies are a sort of loose aggregation of different kinds of cells. This is the simplest kind of cellular organization found among parazoans.</p> <p>Other characteristics of sponges include a system of pores (also called ostia) and canals, through which water passes. Water movement is driven by the beating of flagellae, which are located on specialized cells called <strong>choanocytes</strong> (collar cells). Sponges are either radially symmetrical or asymmetrical. They are supported by a skeleton made up of the protein collagen and spicules, which may be calcareous or siliceous, depending on the group of sponges examined. Skeletal elements, choanocytes, and other cells are imbedded in a gelatinous matrix called mesohyl or mesoglea. Sponges capture food (detritus particles, plankton, bacteria) that is brought close by water currents created by the choanocytes. Food items are taken into individual cells by phagocytosis, and digestion occurs within individual cells.</p> <p>Reproduction by sponges is by both sexual and asexual means. Asexual reproduction is by means of external buds. Some species also form internal buds, called gemmules, which can survive extremely unfavorable conditions that cause the rest of the sponge to die. Sexual reproduction takes place in the mesohyl. Male gametes are released into the water by a sponge and taken into the pore systems of its neighbors in the same way as food items. Spermatozoa are "captured" by collar cells, which then lose their collars and transform into specialized, amoeba-like cells that carry the spermatozoa to the eggs. Some sponges are monoecious; others are dioecious. In most sponges for which developmental patterns are known, the fertilized egg develops into a blastula, which is released into the water (in some species, release takes place right after fertilization; in others, it is delayed and some development takes place within the parent). The larvae may settle directly and transform into adult sponges, or they may be planktonic for a time. Adult sponges are generally assumed to be completely sessile, but a few studies have shown that adult sponges in a variety of species can crawl slowly (Bond and Harris 1988).</p> <p>Sponges have three different types of body plans, although these morphologies do not define taxonomic groups. <strong>Asconoid</strong> sponges are shaped like a simple tube perforated by pores. The open internal part of the tube is called the spongocoel; it contains the collar cells. There is a single opening to the outside, the osculum. <strong>Syconoid</strong> sponges tend to be larger than asconoids and have a tubular body with a single osculum. The synconoid body wall is thicker and the pores that penetrate it are longer, forming a system of simple canals. These canals are lined by collar cells, the flagellae of which move water from the outside, into the spongocoel and out the osculum. The third category of body organization is <strong>leuconoid</strong>. These are the largest and most complex sponges. These sponges are made up of masses of tissue penetrated by numerous canals. Canals lead to numerous small chambers lined with flagellated cells. Water moves through the canals, into these chambers, and out via a central canal and osculum. Sponges in the class <a class="taxon-link rank-class" href="/accounts/Calcarea/">Calcarea</a>, considered to be the most primative group, and have asconoid, synconoid and leuconoid members. The <a class="taxon-link rank-class" href="/accounts/Hexactinellida/">Hexactinellida</a> and <a class="taxon-link rank-class" href="/accounts/Demospongiae/">Demospongiae</a> groups have only leuconoid forms.</p> <p>Sponges are found in virtually all aquatic habitats, although they are most common and diverse in the marine environment. Many species contain toxic substances, probably to discourage predators. Certain other marine animals take advantage of this characteristic of sponges by placing adult sponges on their bodies, where the sponges attach and grow. The chemicals also probably play a role in competition among sponges and other organisms, as they are released by sponges to insure themselves space in the marine ecosystem. Some of these chemicals have been found to have beneficial pharmaceutical effects for humans, including compounds with respiratory, cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, anti-inflammatory, antitumor, and antibiotic activities. Sponges also provide a home for a number of small marine plants, which live in and around their pore systems. Symbiotic relationships with bacteria and algae have also been reported, in which the sponge provides its symbiont with support and protection and the symbiont provides the sponge with food. Some sponges (boring sponges) excavate the surface of corals and molluscs, sometimes causing significant degradation of reefs and death of the mollusc. The corals or molluscs are not eaten; rather, the sponge is probably seeking protection for itself by sinking into the hard structures it erodes. Even this process has some beneficial effects, however, in that it is an important part of the process by which calcium is recycled.</p> <hr /> <p><strong>Sources</strong>:</p> <p>Brusca, R. C., and G. J. Brusca. <em>Invertebrates.</em> 1990. Sinauer Associates, Sunderland, MA.</p> <p>Bond, C. and A. K. Harris. 1988. Locomotion of sponges and its physical mechanism. Journal of Experimental Zoology volume 246, pages 271-284.</p> <p>Hickman, C.P. and L. S. Roberts. 1994. <em>Animal Diversity</em>. Wm. C. Brown, Dubuque, IA.</p> <p>Pearse, V., J. Pearse, M. Buchsbaum, and R. Buchsbaum. 1987. <em>Living Invertebrates.</em> Blackwell Scientific Publications, Palo Alto, Ca.</p> </section> <section class="hyphenate"> <h3 id="contributors">Contributors</h3> <p>Phil Myers (author), Museum of Zoology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. </p> </section> </div> </div> <div class="span2_5 right sidebar"> <div class="well" id="pocket-guide-link"> <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/adw-pocket-guide/id916179421?mt=8" target="_blank"><i class="icon-download icon-white" style="vertical-align: bottom"></i> ADW Pocket Guides on the iOS App Store! </a> <p>The Animal Diversity Web team is excited to announce ADW Pocket Guides!</p> <p> <a href="/news/5009059054038197651/">Read more...</a> </p> </div> <h2 class="offscreen">Search</h2> <div id="site-search"> <form action="/search" method="GET"> <label for="q" class="offscreen">Enter search text</label> <input value="" id="q" name="q" class="span12" size="15" type="text" placeholder="Search ADW" /> <button class="btn"> <i 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href="/accounts/Porifera/pictures/" id="feature-pictures"> Pictures </a> </dd> <dd class="feature-specimens"> <a name="feature-specimens" href="/accounts/Porifera/specimens/" id="feature-specimens"> Specimens </a> </dd> <dd class="feature-classification"> <a name="feature-classification" href="/accounts/Porifera/classification/#Porifera" id="feature-classification"> Classification </a> </dd> </dl> <div class="classification well"> <h3>Classification</h3> <ul class="unstyled"> <li> <span class="rank">Kingdom</span> <a href="/accounts/Animalia/" class="taxon-name rank-kingdom">Animalia</a> <span class="vernacular-name">animals</span> <div class="features"> <a href="/accounts/Animalia/" class="feature feature-information" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Animalia: information (1)" data-delay="250" data-total="4749">Animalia: information (1)</a> <a href="/accounts/Animalia/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Animalia: pictures (22861)" data-delay="250">Animalia: pictures (22861)</a> <a href="/accounts/Animalia/specimens/" class="feature feature-specimens" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Animalia: specimens (7109)" data-delay="250">Animalia: specimens (7109)</a> <a href="/accounts/Animalia/sounds/" class="feature feature-sounds" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Animalia: sounds (722)" data-delay="250">Animalia: sounds (722)</a> <a href="/accounts/Animalia/maps/" class="feature feature-maps" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Animalia: maps (42)" data-delay="250">Animalia: maps (42)</a> </div> </li> <li class="active"> <span class="rank">Unspecified</span> <a href="/accounts/Porifera/" class="taxon-name rank-unspecified">Porifera</a> <span class="vernacular-name">sponges</span> <div class="features"> <a href="/accounts/Porifera/" class="feature feature-information" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Porifera: information (1)" data-delay="250" data-total="9">Porifera: information (1)</a> <a href="/accounts/Porifera/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Porifera: pictures (31)" data-delay="250">Porifera: pictures (31)</a> <a href="/accounts/Porifera/specimens/" class="feature feature-specimens" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Porifera: specimens (9)" data-delay="250">Porifera: specimens (9)</a> <span class="feature-off feature-sounds"></span> <span class="feature-off feature-maps"></span> </div> </li> </ul> </div> <div class="related navlist well"> <h3>Related Taxa</h3> <ul class="descendants classification unstyled"> <li> <span class="rank">Class</span> <a href="/accounts/Calcarea/" class="taxon-name rank-class">Calcarea</a> <span class="vernacular-name"></span> <div class="features"> <a href="/accounts/Calcarea/" class="feature feature-information" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Calcarea: information (1)" data-delay="250" data-total="3">Calcarea: information (1)</a> <a href="/accounts/Calcarea/pictures/" class="feature 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href="/accounts/Demospongiae/specimens/" class="feature feature-specimens" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Demospongiae: specimens (3)" data-delay="250">Demospongiae: specimens (3)</a> <span class="feature-off feature-sounds"></span> <span class="feature-off feature-maps"></span> </div> </li> <li> <span class="rank">Class</span> <a href="/accounts/Hexactinellida/" class="taxon-name rank-class">Hexactinellida</a> <span class="vernacular-name"></span> <div class="features"> <a href="/accounts/Hexactinellida/" class="feature feature-information" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Hexactinellida: information (1)" data-delay="250" data-total="2">Hexactinellida: information (1)</a> <a href="/accounts/Hexactinellida/pictures/" class="feature feature-pictures" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Hexactinellida: pictures (7)" data-delay="250">Hexactinellida: pictures (7)</a> <a href="/accounts/Hexactinellida/specimens/" class="feature feature-specimens" rel="tooltip" data-original-title="Hexactinellida: specimens (4)" data-delay="250">Hexactinellida: specimens (4)</a> <span class="feature-off feature-sounds"></span> <span class="feature-off feature-maps"></span> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="footer" aria-role="contentinfo"> <div class="inner-footer"> <div class="page-citation"> <p class="content">To cite this page: Myers, P. 2001. "Porifera" (On-line), Animal Diversity Web. Accessed November 25, 2024 at https://animaldiversity.org/accounts/Porifera/</p> </div> <div class="disclaimer"> <p class="content"><strong>Disclaimer:</strong> The Animal Diversity Web is an educational resource <strong>written largely by and for college students</strong>. ADW doesn't cover all species in the world, nor does it include all the latest scientific information about organisms we describe. Though we edit our accounts for accuracy, we cannot guarantee all information in those accounts. While ADW staff and contributors provide references to books and websites that we believe are reputable, we cannot necessarily endorse the contents of references beyond our control. </p> </div> <div class="footer-links"> <ul class="unstyled"> <li><a href="https://www.umich.edu/">U-M Gateway</a> | <a href="https://lsa.umich.edu/ummz/">U-M Museum of Zoology</a></li> <li> <a href="https://lsa.umich.edu/eeb/">U-M Ecology and Evolutionary Biology</a> </li> <li> 漏 2020 Regents of the University of Michigan </li> <li><a href="/feedback/error_form/">Report Error</a> / <a href="/feedback/comment_form/">Comment</a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="thanks-links"> <p>This material is based upon work supported by the <a href="https://nsf.gov">National Science Foundation</a> Grants DRL 0089283, DRL 0628151, DUE 0633095, DRL 0918590, and DUE 1122742. Additional support has come from the Marisla Foundation, UM College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, Museum of Zoology, and Information and Technology Services. </p> <p> The ADW Team gratefully acknowledges their support. </p> </div> </div> </div> <script></script> </div> <script src="/static/js/jquery.colorbox.js"></script> <script src="/static/js/pica.information.js"></script> <script type="text/javascript"> var gaJsHost = (("https:" == document.location.protocol) ? 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ADW: Porifera: INFORMATION