1. Phylum Porifera - Sponges
General characteristics:
Porifera means “Pore Bearer”
Body multi-cellular but has no tissue.
Asymmetric body plan
Can be commercially raised
Habitat: marine environment

2. Phylum Porifera - Sponges
Nutrition: filter feeders where water moves through the body and microscopic food particles are sifted from the water by specialized cells called choanocytes and amoebocytes

3. Phylum Porifera - Sponges
Digestion: Intracellular, takes place inside cells
Circulation: takes place through diffusion when water enters the body through an incurrent pore
Respiration: diffusion of oxygen and carbon dioxide using specialized cells takes place when water enters the body through an outer pore
Excretion: diffusion of wastes including: ammonia, and carbon dioxide and into the water and is released through an excurrent pore or osculum.

4. Phylum Porifera - Sponges
Nervous: Sponges have no nerve cells. They protect themselves by producing toxins or releasing spicules.
Toxic sponge Biemna hartmani, whose mucus produces severe burning sensation on contact with skin

5. Phylum Porifera - Sponges
Reproduction:
Sexual: Sponges are hermaphrodites meaning that they contain both male and female sexual organs.
Natural hermaphrodites typically have systems in place to prevent self fertilization.
Internal Fertilization

6. Phylum Porifera - Sponges
Asexual: Occurs through budding, fragmentation, or the creation of gemmules (dormant specialized sponge cells)

7. Phylum Porifera - Sponges
Mobility: larva are motile (can move) but adults are sessile, (live attached to something as an adult).