Phylum Porifera: by Asani Delgahagoda & Sahan Umeda

Phylum Porifera
By Asani Delgahagoda & Sahan

Umeda
Introduction to
Porifera
• Porifera, commonly known as sponges, are a phylum of
multicellular organisms that constitute a basal animal
clade. They are among the simplest multicellular
animals, with a porous body structure and a unique
feeding system.
• Sponges are sessile filter feeders, meaning they live
attached to a substrate and obtain food by filtering
particles from the water. These creatures are
remarkable for their structural diversity, including a
wide range of colours and shapes.
• Their evolutionary history dates back to the
Precambrian era, making them one of the earliest
known animal groups
Main characteristics of Phylum Porifera
Body structure
• Body shape is vase or cylinder-like asymmetrical or radially symmetrical.
• The body surface is perforated by numerous pores, the ostia through which
the water enters the body and one or more large openings, the oscula by
which the water passes out.
• Multicellular body consisting of outer ectoderm and inner endoderm with
an intermediate layer of mesenchyme, therefore diploblastic animal.
• The interior space of the body is either hollow or permeated by numerous
canals lined with choanocytes. The interior space of sponge body is called
spongocoel.
• Characteristic skeleton consisting of either fine flexible spongin fibres,
siliceous spicules or calcareous spicules.
• Mouth absent, digestion intracellular.
• Excretory and respiratory organs absent.
• The nervous and sensory cells are probably not differentiated
Habitats
• Porifera are all aquatic, mostly marine
except one family spongillidae which lives
in freshwater.
• They are sessile and sedentary and grow
like plants. They are found attached to
rocks, coral reefs, seagrass beds, and even
the undersides of docks and boats.
Feeding and Nutrition
of Phylum porifera
• Filter Feeders – Most of them are essential filter
feeders, meaning they obtain their food by
filtering organic matter from the water that flows
through their bodies. They have a unique system
of canals and chambers that enable them to
efficiently capture food particles, such as bacteria,
algae, and small plankton.
• Symbiotic Relationships - Some sponges have
symbiotic relationships with other organisms,
such as algae and bacteria. These symbiotic
partners can provide the sponge with nutrients,
while the sponge provides a protected habitat for
them.
Reproduction
They reproduce by both asexual
and sexual reproduction.
Asexual reproduction
• Through budding, fragmentation, and gemmule
formation.
• Budding involves the formation of small outgrowths from
the parent sponge that eventually detach and become
independent individuals.
Sexual reproduction
• Most sponges are hermaphrodites, meaning they possess
both male and female reproductive organs.
• They release sperm and eggs into the water, where
fertilization occurs.
• The fertilized egg develops into a larva that eventually
settles and develops into a new sponge.
Classification of Phylum Porifera
The classification of Porifera is based chiefly on types of
skeleton found in them. There are main three classes in
Phylum Porifera.
• Class Calcaria
• Class Hexactinellida
• Class Demospongiae
CLASS CALCARIA
• They are commonly called calcareous sponges.
• A Skeleton consist of seperate one or three or four rayd calcareous
spicules.
• They are dull coloured sponges less than 15 cm in size.
• They are solitary or colonial; body shape vase-like or cylindrical.
• They may show asconoid, syconoid or leuconoid structure.
• They occur in shallow waters in all oceans.
• Asconoid sponges with radially symmetrical, cylindrical body.
• Spongocoel is lined by choanocytes.
• Syconoid or leuconoid sponges having vase-shaped body.
• The body wall is thick and folded, choanocytes line only radial
canals.
• Asexual reproduction by budding. The free swimming larva is called
amphiblastula.
Example: Leucosolenia, Clathrina,Grantia
There are two orders in the Class Calcaria
Order Homocoela Order Heterocoela

CLASS
HEXACTINELLIDA
• They are called glass sponges.
• Skeleton is of siliceous spicules which are triaxon with 6 rays. In some
the spicules are fused to form a lattice-like skeleton.
• There is no epidermal epithelium.
• Choanocytes line finger-shaped chambers.
• They are cylindrical or funnel shaped and are found in deep tropical
seas, they grow up to one meter.
• Spicules are hexasters, i.e. star-like in shape.
• Radial canals or flagellated chambers are simple.
• They are not attached by root tufts but commonly attaches to a hard
surface.
• Spicules are amphidiscs. No hexasters.
• They are attached to the substratum by root tufts.
Example: Euplectella ,Hyalonema
Hespectulla
There are two orders in Class Hexactinellida
Order Hexasterphora Order Amphidiscophora

CLASS
DEMOSPONGIAE
• Contains the largest number of sponge species. Large-sized, solitary or colonial.
• The skeleton is made out of siliceous spicules or sponging fibers or both.
• Spicules are never six-rayed, they are monaxon or tetraxon are differentiated into large
megascaleres and small microscleres.
• Body shape is irregular and the canal system is of leucon type.
• Generally marine, few freshwater forms.
• Sponges are mostly solid and simple rounded cushion like flattened in shape usually
without branches.
• Skeleton comprised mainly of tetraxon siliceous spicules but absent in order
myxospongida. Canal system is leuconoid type. Shallow water form.
• Simple structure.
• Skeleton absent.
• Spicules are not differentiated into megascleres and microscleres.
• Asters may be present.
• Spicules are differentiated into megascleres and microscleres.
Example: Spongilla, Chalina, Spongia
Spongilla Chalina
There are three sub-classes in Class Desmospongiae
Tetractinellida Monaxonida
Kerasota
References
Q&
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Phylum Porifera

By Asani Delgahagoda & Sahan

Order Homocoela Order Heterocoela

Order Hexasterphora Order Amphidiscophora

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