phylum Porifera (Sponge) by Charlie Jensen

26cjensen8 — 2025-10-11 10:53:21 UTC

26cjensen8 — 2025-10-11 10:53:34 UTC

26cjensen8 — 2025-10-11 10:53:51 UTC

About their cells...

26cjensen8 — 2025-10-11 10:56:21 UTC

Their cells actually do not have tissues or organs. They are instead composed of a lose aggregation of specialized cells, like choanocytes, wich are collar cells that filter food and create water currents. Another one could be the Pinacocytes, wich form on the outer curphase, and amoebocytes wich are responsible for digestion.

About sponge reproduction

26cjensen8 — 2025-10-11 10:57:41 UTC

Sponges reproduce through both sexual and asexual peproduction. Ontop of this, most sponges are actually hermaphroditic, wich means they can produce both sperm and eggs.

How long do they live?

26cjensen8 — 2025-10-11 10:58:50 UTC

Their life span varies alot, but some can live only a year, and others can live for thousands of years. Scientists have estimated some sponges to have lived for 10,000 years! It all depends on species, water temperature, and the depth of water they live in.

How many?

26cjensen8 — 2025-10-11 11:00:09 UTC

There are currently over 8,500 known species of sponges currently known! The most common species group is the Demosponges, which makes up about 90% of all sponge species.

How?

26cjensen8 — 2025-10-11 11:02:00 UTC

They are filter feeders that eat by drawing in water through tiny pores and trapping food particles like plankton and organic debris with certain cells called choanocytes. They digest food intracellularly, which means that they digest within individual cells instead of a digestive tract.

When were they first a thing?

26cjensen8 — 2025-10-11 11:03:02 UTC

The first sponge emerged in the Precambrian era, wich estimates that they emerged anywhere from 600 to 800 million years ago! That's way older than me.

How many colors can they be?

26cjensen8 — 2025-10-11 11:03:47 UTC

Sponges can be nearly any color on the color spectrum! Infact, they can also even be colors that we can't even see!

Can they respond to their enviornment?

26cjensen8 — 2025-10-11 11:04:57 UTC

Yes actually! Even though they don't have a nervous system, they can sense and respond to their environment by detecting changes in light, temperature or flow of water.