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PHYLUM PORIFERA-WPS Office

Phylum Porifera includes sponges, which are simple aquatic animals that lack tissues and organs. They live in both marine and freshwater environments. Porifera get their name from their pores called ostia or oscula that allow water circulation. They are classified based on their endoskeleton composition into classes Calcarea, Hexactinellida, and Demospongiae. Common examples include Sycon, barrel sponges, Cliona, Euplectella, and Spongilla.

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85 views3 pages

PHYLUM PORIFERA-WPS Office

Phylum Porifera includes sponges, which are simple aquatic animals that lack tissues and organs. They live in both marine and freshwater environments. Porifera get their name from their pores called ostia or oscula that allow water circulation. They are classified based on their endoskeleton composition into classes Calcarea, Hexactinellida, and Demospongiae. Common examples include Sycon, barrel sponges, Cliona, Euplectella, and Spongilla.

Uploaded by

kowsikakaruppasamy
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We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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PHYLUM PORIFERA

Phylum Porifera
Phylum Porifera, also known as
sponges, is a group of simple aquatic
animals that lack true tissues and
organs. Animals belonging to the
Porifera phylum are the smallest
multicellular creatures in the animal
kingdom. ‘Porifera’ word is taken
from Latin which means ‘pore-
bearing species’. Around 5000
species are include

Table Of Content
Phylum Porifera
Why The Name ‘Porifera’?
Characteristics of Phylum Porifera
Classification of Phylum Porifera
Examples of Phylum Porifera
Phylum Porifera
Phylum Porifera includes organisms that lack specialized digestive, nervous, and
respiratory systems. These organisms have a radial symmetry, do not possess a
coelom, and do not show any segmentation. These organisms either have numerous tiny
pores called ostia or larger pores called Oscula which are less in number. The
function of these pores is to allow the circulation of water. The members of Phylum
Porifera are non-motile and are fixed to a substratum.

Why The Name ‘Porifera’?


Porifera animals have pores which are known as Ostia. They are also called sponges
since they are ‘spongy’ in appearance. Since they were green in color, and
displayed a symbiotic association with algae, they were classified as plants.
However, upon later evaluation, it was seen that they were heterotrophic and
multicellular and had a cell membrane present. These characteristics were common
with other members of the Animal kingdom.Hence they were classified as
invertebrates, under Phylum Porifera in the animal kingdom.
Characteristics of Phylum Porifera:
Below are some of the characteristics of Phylum Porifera:

They are present in both marine and freshwater sources.

Their bodies are uneven and loosely arranged

These are mostly assymetrical

They are cylindrical and have a cellular level of organization.

Spicules, which are frequently seen in sponges, are small structural components
that are formed of calcium carbonate, silica, or spongin (a protein).

The sponge is supported and shielded by spicules.


Porifera reproduces asexually via Fragmentation or budding. Sexual reproduction
also occurs sperm and egg formation.

The cavity present inside the body is known as spongocoel which is open to the
surrounding via osculum. A water current flows through it and helps in nutrition,
reproduction and respiration.

They take food via a Holozoic mode of nutrition.

Animals of the Porifera kingdom exhibit a high rate of regeneration.

Reproduction involves internal fertilisation. Most of the sponges are


hermaphrodites.

Respiration and excretion occurs via diffusion. These organisms are ammonotelic.
Classification of Phylum Porifera:
This phylum is further divided into three classes, depending mostly upon the
endoskeleton. Following is detailed brief about its three types:-

Class Calcispongiae or Calcarea:


They all are present in both marine and freshwater.

Their skeleton comprises calcareous spicules which are formed of calcium carbonate.

The body is cylindrical and has a vase like structure.

Body organization of calcera are asconoid, leuconoid and syconoid.

Examples: Clathrina, Leucosolenia, Scypha

Class Hexactinellida Or Hyalospongiae:

They are present in marine and also in the deep sea. .


They are also known as glass sponges based on their siliceous spicules.
The canal system is sycon and leucon type
The body is cylindrical and has radial symmetry
Example: Euplectella, Hyaloneme.

Class Demospongiae :

Demosponges make up the bulk of sponge species and are the largest and most
diversified class of sponges.

They are present in both freshwater and marine water.


they have a Leuconoid type canal system.
The skeleton system comprises of spongin fibers and siliceous spicules.
They are asymmetrical
This category includes a lot of commercial sponges used in cleaning and bathing
products. The Bath Sponge (Spongia officinalis) and the Barrel Sponge are two
examples.
More Examples: Cliona, Spongia, Spongilla, Chalina

Examples of Phylum Porifera:

Phylum Porifera consists of wide variety of sponges with different traits. Few of
these have been explained in detail below:

SYCON:

These are marine sponges present either in


solitary or in colonial form which are attached
to rocks. The flagellated cell is made from a
radial canal. From the Ostia, water enters the
body and reaches radial canals via prosopyles.
Sycon reproduces both sexually and asexually.

Barrel Sponge:

The class Demospongiae includes barrel sponges, which can be found in a variety of
marine habitats, including coral reefs.They can be identified by their huge size
and characteristic barrel or cylinder shape with an opening at the top (osculum).
They help different marine organisms by providing habitat.
Cliona:

They are also called Boring Sponges, found in


coral skeletons, mollusk shells, and other
calcareous articles. They are green, purple, or
light yellow in colour. The canal system is one of
the main characteristics of leuconoid sponge
. They reproduce both sexually and asexually
Euplectella:

These are also called Venus flower baskets and


are present in marine water. These are long
cylindrical and curved present on the mud of
the upper surface of the sea. They show a
simple synconoid canal system. Their skeleton
consists of silicious spicules which are fused around their tips and form a 3-D
structure.
Spongilla:

They are majorly found in ponds, lakes,


streams. The body is covered with thin dermis,
and small pores i.e., Ostia are present on the
surface. Rhagon-type canal systems are
present in Spongilla. They reproduce via both modes.

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