Phylum Porifera
The basicsPhylum Porifera - Sponges
The Sea Sponge is classified under Kingdom Animalia, inside the phylum Porifera. Sponges are classified as the simplest of all invertebrates, having no tissues, neurons, or guts (organ systems). they live attached to the sea floor and live there permanently under the water and they do not move around. Sponges can be brightly colored or have dark tones. Classified into three groups based on their support systems. A sponge reproduces sexually by buddying, where sperm is caught by nearby sponges and fertilization of the egg takes place internally. Thus resulting in tiny larva, which is released and then settles on the ocean floor where it develops and grows into a sponge. Latching onto the ocean floor and living in that one spot for the rest of its life. Sponges also have the unique ability of regeneration, a form of asexual reproduction. They can be cut up, blended, squished, or even have their cells extracted (seen in the video below) and still be able to regrow into a new sponge. Sponges are not able to produce their own food, so they feed by filtering plankton and organic particles from the ocean water through thousands of tiny pores on the surface of their bodies. thus classifying them as animals due to the fact they must consume their food. Sponges also obtain oxygen and nourishment from the water being filtered through their bodies. |
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3 Classifications of sponges
demospongiae
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calcarea
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hexatinhexactinellida
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Videos on phylum Porifera!
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Spongy fun facts! did you know?
- If you put a sponge in a blender, it will regenerate itself
- Sponges can move a few millimeters a day and it's larvae is free swimming
- It is thought that sponges different colours help protect them from the Sun's UV rays
- One of the largest sponges found was nearly 10' in width
- Chemicals from some sponges is being researched for curing cancer
- A sponge can contain 16,000 other animals inside it
- Some deep sea sponges can live up to 200 years
- Some sponges are carnivorous