Phylum Porifera
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Can you find the little Red Nudibranch on this Red Sponge?
Our next phylum in the Kingdom Animalia is Porifera. Phylum Porifera is the phylum of sponges. These are not the rectangular sponges you may have in the kitchen nor do they live in undersea pineapples. Most of the 5,000 identified sponge species do live in the ocean. Only about 150 of the recognized species live in freshwater. Unlike Spongebob, members of the phylum Porifera spend most of their lives attached to a surface such as a rock. The only time they move around is at the beginning of their lives when they are free-floating larvae. However, as larvae, they cannot control their movement against a water current.
Sponges are one of the most simple animals. They have no organs or even tissues (collection of specialized cells that are grouped together and all do the same thing for the body). They do, however, have specialized cells that perform different jobs so the sponge can survive. These jobs include: structure support, growth, repair, reproduction, and feeding.
The large holes visible in this purple sponge are the oscula.
Perhaps the most notable feature of sponges is the pores, or holes, in their body. The word “porifora” means “pore bearer.” These pores are called ostia and are important for the way that sponges capture food. Sponges eat by bringing water in through these ostia and with that water comes plankton, microscopic organisms. The sponges cells then absorb and digest the plankton. As the water is brought in through the ostia, it creates a one-way current through the sponge. The water leaves through a hole called an oscula. Even though sponges come in many shapes, sizes, and colors, they all have this same basic body plan.
Boring Sponge Photo: http://pugetsoundblogs.com/sea-life/5/
Sponges play an important role in the ocean. They are a fantastic food source for fishes, sea slugs, shrimp and more. They also provide habitat for many sea creatures to live in. Sometimes algae grows on sponges as well. One type of sponge called a boring sponge because it bores holes through shells to have a safe place to live. Unfortunately, if the owner of the shell is alive when the boring sponge starts breaking away at the shell, it will not survive. However, this sponge is important for recycling the calcium that the shell is made out of so other shelled animals can use it to build new shells.
Sponges are important not only to the ecosystems they live in but they also are being studied for their potential to have chemicals that could helpful for humans. Some of these chemicals may have anti-cancer, anti-malaria, pain killing properties, and more. Sponges either make these chemicals themselves or get them from their food and repurpose the chemicals for their own use. These chemicals help the sponge avoid getting eaten, fight other sponges for growing space, wear through rock/shell, and repel parasites/harmful bacteria.
The video below shows the current that sponges create through their body.
