Porifera (Sponges)

By: Laia Alonso

Basic Information Kingdom: Animalia Subkingdom: Parazoa Phylum: Porifera Phylum porifera is also known as those with

pores.

Special Features - More than 8,000 known species (900 are

fresh water, and the rest are salt water) - Sponge taxonomists guess there are15,000

species in the world. - Can reproduce sexually or asexually - They feed through pores on their outer walls - Lives in water environments

Special Features (II) - Has a multicellular body, no organs, and few

tissues - No nervous system - Fossil sponges are one of the oldest known

animal fossils - They are filter feeders, over 100 liters of

water a day - Body is full of pores

When it appeared Scientists have found, in rocks, traces of the

chemical 24-isoprophylcholestane, which they say has to be found inside sponges around 1,800 million years ago.

Some fossils found around 580 million years ago have been classified as demosponges.

A type of sponge called Archaeocythids, which were very common and scientists found several of, were found 530 million years ago, but died out 490 million years ago

Life Cycle Found from the polar to the tropics and in clear and

quiet oceans Reproduce asexually or sexually In asexual they produce the sperm and the egg.

When they connect it attaches to a rock and waits to be formed.

In sexual the male releases the sperm, and when it comes across a female it attaches. Eventually a larva will be released and it can pick a spot to grow on.

Small sponge growing on the base of an adult sponge, and then breaking away. Called budding.

If one is cut or injured, it will also regenerate itself.

Life Cycle (II) From where it decides to stay, it will start do

develop itself Development can change depending on the

environment In average, they live around 20 years Using asexual reproduction, can live up to 200

years When dead, they usually disintegrate

Feeding Absorbs water through his pores. This water provides it with food and oxygen. The water is moved through the sponge

because of the currents. The food that the sponge takes is with this is

then used. It flows through the pores. They capture 90% of the bacteria

Respiration Respiration is unique. It absorbs the oxygen, these diffuse, and get

oxygen from the flowing water system. In this system, many soluble waste products

also use diffusion. Depending on the type, archeocytes remove

mineral particles and take them out into the water currents or either incorporate them into their skeletons.

Bibliography http://sites.google.com/site/animalbiologyspri

ng2010/porifera/life-cycle

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sponge http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/ac

counts/information/Porifera.html

http://www.biology.iastate.edu/Courses/211L/Porif/%20Porifindx.htm

http://tolweb.org/Porifera/2464 http://www.infusion.allconet.org/webquest/

PhylumPorifera.html http://www.earthlife.net/inverts/porifera.html