Most poriferans that reproduce by sexual means are hermaphroditic and produce eggs and sperm at different times. Sponges reproduce by both asexual and sexual means. Cells then migrate around the helpless prey and digestion That's right, these sponges are actually carnivorous! They capture smallĬrustaceans with their spicules which act like Velcro when they come in contact with Sponges of the family Cladorhizidae are especially unusual in that they typically feed by capturing and digesting whole animals. Still other sponges harbor symbionts such as Other sponges, in particular hexactinellids, appear to be less efficient at capturing bacteria and may specialize in feeding on smaller bits of organic matter. Some sponges trap roughly 90 percent of all bacteria in the water they filter. In general, sponges feed by filtering bacteria from the water that passes through them. The volume of water passing through a sponge can be enormous, up to 20,000 times its volume in a single 24 hour period. Sponges are capable of regulating the amount of flow through their bodies by the constriction of various openings. This moving water creates an area of low pressure above the excurrent openings that assists in drawing water out of the sponge. The water movement through some sponges is aided by ambient currents passing over raised excurrent openings. This flow is actively generated by the beating of flagella. Water flowing through sponges provides food and oxygen, as well as a means for waste removal. Sponge crawl away when you reached out for This sponge/crab association results in a sponge that gets around. Used by a hermit crab an unusual associationĪnd studied by Floyd Sandford) can be formed. Another interesting thing can happen when a sponge settles Gastropods, and the colonial skeletons of corals by slowly etching away chips ofĬalcareous material. Important for sponge ecology under natural conditions. They are sessile, though it has been shown that some are able to move slowly (up Sponges are ubiquitous benthic creatures, found at all latitudesīeneath the world's oceans, and from the intertidal to the deep-sea. Spongillidae, an extant group of fresh-water demosponges whose fossil recordĬretaceous.

They are predominantly marine, with the notable exception of the family Sponges come in an incredible variety of colors and an amazing array of shapes.

Does a sea sponge move