Porifera-Dakota C. by Dakota Christensen

26dchristensen1 — 2025-01-16 02:34:47 UTC

26dchristensen1 — 2025-01-16 02:35:14 UTC

26dchristensen1 — 2025-01-16 02:35:29 UTC

26dchristensen1 — 2025-01-16 02:46:00 UTC

Porifera have three main body plans: Asconoid, Syconoid, and Leuconoid.

Asconoid bodies are the most simple structures, with only one internal chamber.

Syconoid body plans are similar to asconoid, where they have one internal chamber. However, these chambers are lined with lots of smaller canals.

And finally, Leuconoid bodies are the most complex. Their canals branch out into lots of different networks.

26dchristensen1 — 2025-01-16 02:51:26 UTC

Sponges have special cells called Chaonocytes, also known as "Collar Cells." These help sponges circulate water through their chambers, which carry oxygen and food particles.

26dchristensen1 — 2025-01-16 02:57:38 UTC

Sponges typically use sexual reproduction, but they can also do it asexually. They typically go through a process called synchronous spawning, which is when a large group of organisms release their sperm and eggs all at the same time. From there, these sex cells float around until they can find one of their own species' sex cells, and finally form a larval sponge.

26dchristensen1 — 2025-01-16 02:59:53 UTC

Different species of sponges can have very different lifespans. Some only live for a few years, and others can live for thousands. It all depends on the type of sponge and the environment it lives in.

26dchristensen1 — 2025-01-16 03:04:26 UTC

Currently, there are approximately 8,550 known species of sponges in the world. These species are divided into four sections called Demospongiae, Hexactinellida, Calcarea, and Homoscleromorpha.

26dchristensen1 — 2025-01-16 03:09:44 UTC

Since sponges don't have mouths, they use things called Ostia to get their food. These tiny pores suck water into the sponge, which then gets filtered through choanocytes to catch food particles. Then the rest of the water flows out of the body through their osculum. This process is called phagocytosis.

26dchristensen1 — 2025-01-16 03:49:54 UTC

The Sycon cillatum species of sponge is one of the smallest of its kind; it grows to be only .05mm tall!

26dchristensen1 — 2025-01-16 03:52:47 UTC

Sponges lack circulatory, nervous, and digestive systems.

26dchristensen1 — 2025-01-16 03:55:22 UTC

Glass sponges are some of the oldest animals on this planet! It's estimated that they can live for up to 15,000 years. They grow very slowly in the Ross Sea of Antarctica.