Sponge

Description:

Sponges are characterized by the possession of a feeding system unique among animals. Poriferans don't have mouths; instead, they have tiny pores in their outer walls through which water is drawn. Cells in the sponge walls filter goodies from the water as the water is pumped through the body and out other larger openings. The flow of water through the sponge is unidirectional, driven by the beating of flagella which line the surface of chambers connected by a series of canals. Sponge cells perform a variety of bodily functions and appear to be more independent of each other than are the cells of other animals.

Habitat:

Moho Cay, Belize

Notes:

Sea sponges are one of the oldest living organisms in the earth, inhabiting the planet for last 500 million years. Sea sponges are among the simplest multicellular organisms and mostly look like plants. They also have chlorophyll content like most plants, but in actual they are zoophytes. Unlike other animals, sea sponges don’t have a distinct nervous, digestive and circulatory systems. They don’t go for hunting like other animals; instead they remain fixed to their place and allow water to flow through them. They have specialized cells which absorbs the oxygen and other food particles from water. What’s more, sea sponges are hermaphrodites, which mean that they are both male and female.