Porifera: Learn about sponges

Learn about sponges, the primitive animals with porous bodies and water canal systems. Find out their general features, modes of reproduction, classification and examples of sponges. Phylum Porifera : Phylum Porifera , commonly known as sponges, are simple multicellular organisms that are the lowest multicellular animals belonging to the kingdom Animalia. The word “ Porifera ” comes from Latin, meaning “pore bearer”, referring to the many pores and channels that are characteristic of their bodies. Here we will delve into the general character and classification of Porifera . General characteristics of Phylum Porifera Kingdom: Animalia Habitat: Aquatic, mostly marine, few are terrestrial Habit: They are solitary or colonial. Grade of organization: cellular grade of body Shape: Body shape is variable, mostly cylinder shaped Symmetry: Asymmetrical or radially symmetrical. Germ layer: Diploblastic animals. The adult body wall contains two layers, outer dermal layer and inner gastral layer. In between these two layers, there is a gelatinous and non-cellular mesoglea ... Sponge biodiversity and morphotypes at the lip of a wall site in 60 feet (20 m) of water. Included are the yellow tube sponge , Aplysina fistularis, the purple vase sponge , Niphates digitalis, the red encrusting sponge , Spirastrella coccinea, and the gray rope sponge , Callyspongia sp. Sponges are similar to other animals in that they are multicellular, heterotrophic, lack cell walls and produce sperm cells. Unlike other animals, they lack true tissues [12] and organs. [13] Some of them are ...