1. Phylum Porifera “Sponges” Kingdom: Animalia Phylum: Porifera
“Sponges”
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Porifera
Classes: Hexactinellida
Demospongia
Calcarea

2. Phylum Porifera Sponges 5,000 living species Three Distinct Groups:
Hexactinellida (glass sponges)
Demospongia
Calcarea (calcareous sponges)
Most primitive of all animals

3. 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

4. Moving Water/Current = Low Pressure Water pumped in through the walls
Feeding:
Moving Water/Current = Low Pressure
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
Water pumped in through the walls

5. 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 (produce male and female gametes)
Asexually they produce buds

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

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

8. Structure / Anatomy:

9. Structure / Anatomy:

11. Spicules:

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

13. 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

14. Circulatory:
Amoeboid Cells in the wall transport food and nutrients

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

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

17. Digestive: Filter feeders NO GVC – food is digested intracellularly
Collar cells engulf and digest food vacuoles
Use amoeboid cells to distribute nutrients

18. Porifera body structure. Colour-coding:. Yellow: pinacocytes
Porifera body structure. Colour-coding: *Yellow: pinacocytes *Red: choanocytes *Grey: mesohyl * Pale blue: water flow
Structure types: Left: asconoid *Middle: syconoid *Right: leuconoid

19. Class: Hexactinellida
Glass sponges
Consists of silica constructed fibers called spicules
Cannot contract like other sponges though can send electrical impulses

20. Class: Demospongia Most diversity 90% of species fall into this class
Can consist of spongin and / or silica spicules

21. Class: Calcarea Found in shallow waters
Spicules are composed of calcium carbonate