Porifera

Phylum Porifera – the sponges Porus (pore) + Fera (bearing) Abundant marine group with some fresh water species. Can range in size from a few mm high to 1-2 meters.

Classification Kingdom Animalia (animals) Phylum Porifera (sponges) Classes: 1. Calcarea (calcium carbonate )- having spicules, only class with asconoid and synconoid canals 2. Demosponginae (horn sponges, like the bath sponge) 90 % of all sponges 3. Scleropongiae (coralline or tropical reef sponges) 4. Hexactinellida (glass sponges). Mostly deep, cold water

Common Examples Glassy Sponge

Common Examples Glassy Sponge Encrusting Sponge

Common Examples Glassy Sponge Encrusting Sponge Finger Sponge

Common Examples Glassy Sponge Encrusting Sponge Finger Sponge Tube Sponge

Common Examples Glassy Sponge Encrusting Sponge Finger Sponge Tube Sponge Orange Sponge

Characteristics Porifera are asymmetrical No organs, mouth, digestive system or nervous tissue. Their bodies are porous, with canals and chambers thru which a water current flows, One or more internal cavities lined with choanocytes.

Simplest Multicellular Organism Classified by their skeleton Pump 22.5 liters (on average) of water a day through it’s body

No mouth organs, systems, digestive tract, anus, nerve cells. Surface perforated by numerous pores. These outer pores are called the pinacocytes Incurrent openings are small and numerous (called ostia) Excurrent - few and large

Internal cavities. Interior is hollow (called the spongocoel) or can be permeated by numerous channels. Some or all interior spaces are lined by specialized cells called choanocytes. These cells beat and pull water through the ostia. -The mesohyl lies between the inner and outer cell layers. It contains a jelly like fluid called the mesoglea.

Sponge Anatomy 101

How do sponges eat? Sponges are suspension feeders. Water brings in food that is trapped by the choanocytes and transferred to the rest of the sponge by cells called archaeocytes.

How do sponges eat? choanocytes amebocytes

Sponge Organization The body is supported by an endoskeleton of spongin (a form of collagen) and/or tiny spicules (made of calcium or silica).

Spicules calcium carbonate microscopic geometric all over sponge’s body fingerprint of sponge

Canal Systems Three major types: Asconoid-the simplest type of organization. Small and tube shaped, water enters the sponge through dermal pores and flows into the interior.

Asconoid

Canal Systems Syconoid-larger versions of asconoids, still having just a single osculum. However, the body wall is generally thicker and more complex with incurrent canals rather than simple pores.

Syconoid

Canal Systems Leuconoid-the most complex in design in that not all the chambers are flagellated. Water flowing in through incurrent canals is pumped through the chambers and expelled via one of a series of oscula. Best adapted to increase size.

Leuconoid

Sponge Reproduction

Cool Stuff – Regeneration! Tremendous ability to repair and restore lost parts. Sponge tissue has some similarity to human connective tissue. Could lead to aid in tissue transplantation. Asexual Reproduction Asexual budding can produce new sponges. Sexual Reproduction Most sponges are hermaphroditic and can internally fertilize themselves.

Importance of Sponges Reefs provide habitat for many animals Vacuums of the sea -- clean up the sea floor/oceans Sponges are a commercial venture Several medicinal compounds, including antibiotics, antivirual drugs, and drugs for leukemia come from sponges.

Branching tube sponge

Stove pipe sponge

Vase sponge

Barrel sponge

Ball sponges

Rope Sponges

Question #1 Which of the following characteristics makes sponges unique among other animals? They are multicellular. They are heterotrophic. They do not have a mouth or gut. They are capable of reproducing sexually.

Question #2 What type of cellular structure does a choanocyte use to help create the current inside a sponge? cilium flagellum spongellium pseudopodium

Question #3 The skeleton of a sponge includes tiny crystal-like structures that are called spongin spicules collagen choanocytes

Question #4 Which of the following sponge body types would you expect to find in this sponge from the video? Asconoid Syconoid Leuconoid

Question #5 Which of the four classes of sponges includes sponges with both silica and calcium carbonate in their skeletons? Calcarea Hexactinellida Demospongiae Sclerospongiae